JetBlue Airways, which started its existence in New York just over 20 years ago, has re-committed to the city.

The airline on Monday announced it will add 5,000 new employees to meet what is expected to be a robust summer travel season, with most of the hires coming from the New York City area.

“Our economy has been grounded. COVID has devastated us. COVID has left us in the belief that there is no real recovery,” New York City Mayor Eric Adams said according to the New York Daily News. Adams spoke at John F. Kennedy International Airport in Queens, where some 1,000 job applicants showed up. “You are the ambassadors to New York City to help our economic recovery. We have a tourism industry that ... $72 billion comes from. Four hundred thousand people are employed in that industry. If we get it wrong — if someone fails to have a good interaction at a JetBlue counter or on a plane, then people don’t want to come back to our city. This is not merely a moment of being employed, this is a moment of finally getting our economy back into flight so we can turn around our city ... We need you.”

JetBlue CEO Robin Hayes said the airline would be increasing flights out of New York this summer from 200 to 300 daily. JetBlue just added flights out of New York and Boston to Kansas City and Milwaukee.

“We want to be part of building the economic recovery and the tourism back to New York because it truly is the greatest city,” Hayes said. “We also can’t wait to break ground on our new terminal.”