JetBlue celebrated the launch of its first flight to Paris from John F. Kennedy International Airport on Thursday, marking a step toward expanding its international destinations, the airline’s CEO said. 

Terminal 5 at JFK Airport was adorned with the colors of the French flag ahead of the 5:09 p.m. departure for more than 130 passengers. JetBlue CEO Robin Hayes was on hand to discuss the flight's significance for the airline. 

“Paris is actually the largest market from New York that we don't fly,” he said in an interview with NY1’s Pat Kiernan, explaining what prompted them to launch the flight. 

A coach seat on a JetBlue airliner to Paris offers the most legroom of any airline across the Atlantic, while also offering live TV, Wi-Fi and in-flight meals that are all free, Hayes said.

The launch of the Paris flight Thursday came two years after the airline began expanding overseas offerings with daily flights to London. 

“It’s an amazing product,” Hayes said of their international flights. “And our London flights are completely full.” 

While there was no delay on Thursday’s flight from JFK Airport, JetBlue and other airlines have been plagued with frequent delays and cancellations in recent weeks due to staffing shortages and poor weather. 

Hayes said he believes JetBlue is in a position to keep travelers moving as quickly as possible. 

“We are significantly better staffed than we've ever been. So we've got more spare airplanes, we got more reserve pilots, more reserve in-flight crew members,” he said. “So we've made a very significant investment to make sure that we can be more resilient when weather hits.” 

Hayes also vowed that JetBlue’s headquarters would remain in New York City for the foreseeable future. The company is headquartered in Long Island City, and employs more than 8,000 people in the five boroughs. 

“Absolutely don't bet against New York,” he said. “The subways are busy, and the restaurants are busy; and there [were] some issues with commercial real estate — people kind of wanting this hybrid arrangement of three days a week at the office — but New York is back, and it's going to come back stronger.” 

While the airline has had success with adding flights, JetBlue's plan to merge with Spirit Airlines is currently under review by federal regulators. 

Hayes acknowledged the Department of Justice's scrutiny and concerns about the lack of competition in the industry, but said he believed combining the strengths of JetBlue and Spirit would benefit all travelers. 

“Taking the best of JetBlue with the best of Spirit, and creating a new and better JetBlue, that is the best way to keep the industry competitive, because we can go in and compete against these legacy airlines, lower fares and improve service for everybody,” he said.