JetBlue Announces Two New Routes to Puerto Rico for Summer Travelers

The biggest airline in Puerto Rico, JetBlue, timed the announcement to mark its 21st year of operation in San Juan. With an average of 35 departures from Puerto Rico every day, the airline now serves its core city of San Juan as well as Aguadilla and Ponce.

With the addition of Raleigh, the airline will now offer service between Puerto Rico and twelve US and Caribbean locations. JetBlue’s CEO, Robin Hayes, emphasized the potential for even further expansion: “This growth will increase competition and choice for customers traveling to and from Puerto Rico and for travelers in Raleigh and Tampa, while also building on our commitment to support tourism on the island and connect family and friends.

“We look forward to delivering even more of the much-loved JetBlue experience – with our unique combination of low fares and award-winning service – to our customers traveling between Puerto Rico and the U.S. mainland following the successful completion of our combination with Spirit.”

Laying the foundation for a future JetBlue-Spirit operation is the goal of the expansion. The airline believes that if the planned merger goes through successfully, it will create prospects for long-term expansion in Puerto Rico that would not otherwise be achievable. JetBlue affirmed that it will keep trying to provide service on more routes and increase the number of ways to go to and from Puerto Rico, introducing new nonstop service to places that aren’t now economically viable.

In Aguadilla, JetBlue’s new service debuts without competition. Rafael Hernández International Airport (BQN) in Aguadilla, Mexico, and Tampa International Airport (TPA) in Florida will be connected by the year-round service beginning on 5th July. This year, JetBlue will fly up to 5 daily departures from Aguadilla thanks to the new arrival of Tampa.

The planes every day leave Tampa at 12:05 and touch down in Aguadilla at 14:57. The return flight from Puerto Rico arrives in Florida around 18:36. There won’t be any direct rivals for JetBlue on this route. The quickest alternate flight is Frontier Airlines’ one from Orlando to Aguadilla. The new connection to the local airport has Carlos Mercado Santiago, executive director of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company, excited: “The Puerto Rico Tourism Company is thrilled to announce along with our partner, JetBlue, the incorporation of these new routes. The expanded network connects two of Puerto Rico’s main airports to key markets in the continental United States providing travelers with even more options to explore and enjoy the diversity available on the island.

“We value the longstanding alliance between the Government of Puerto Rico and JetBlue, and look forward to continue providing excellence in the visitor experience, and increasing Tourism’s contribution to local economies.”