US-based airline JetBlue has entered a five-year heavy maintenance and paint deal with Premier Aviation for its Embraer 190 (E-190) aircraft.

As part of the deal, aircraft maintenance has already started in New York, while painting would initially be carried out at Premier’s facility in Quebec, Canada.

The newly signed deal is also expected to create maintenance and paint jobs in both the US and Canada.

"We’ve been committed not only to providing a safe, comfortable, and reliable service for our customers, but supporting and promoting the state we call home."

JetBlue operations executive vice-president Jeffrey Martin said: “From our very first flight from JFK to Buffalo, we’ve been committed not only to providing a safe, comfortable, and reliable service for our customers, but supporting and promoting the state we call home."

The carrier currently flies more than 35 million passengers a year, serving the US, Caribbean and Latin America.

With four facilities in the US and Canada, Premier Aviation currently provides maintenance and repairing services for regional, narrow-body and wide-body aircraft.

The company has so far performed more than 250 services on its Embraer platform and currently has several lines of E-175 and 190 aircraft at its New York and Quebec facilities.

Image: JetBlue Embraer 190 arrives at Premier Aviation's Rome, New York facility. Photo: courtesy of JetBlue.