JetBlue Airways is reinforcing its service to South Florida with a major service expansion at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL). The airline has included new routes that have increased flight frequencies and includes plans for a new terminal.
Starting later this year, JetBlue Airways will launch year-round nonstop flights from Fort Lauderdale to four cities:
- Austin, Texas, that begins November 20
- Tampa, Florida, which starts on December 4
- Atlanta, Georgia, begins December 4
- Norfolk, Virginia, starts December 4
These are the new destinations the airline has added to the service schedule, especially for the high-demand routes. You can expect more flights to Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Raleigh-Durham, and Richmond, Virginia, from Fort Lauderdale. The schedule for the flights will roll out on October 26, with Los Angeles seeing an extra flight starting November 21.
Dave Jehn, JetBlue's vice president of network planning and airline partnerships, stated that Fort Lauderdale is a key market for JetBlue, and adding new routes and more flights gives JetBlue all the reasons to attract more travelers.
Currently, Fort Lauderdale operates JetBlue flights with 72 average daily departures, serving 31 destinations. By December 2025, it is expected that these will increase to 95 daily departures serving 37 cities. This expansion will make FLL one of the busiest gateways in the U.S. for JetBlue.
There is a strategic plan behind the move. JetBlue has considered Fort Lauderdale a focus city, and it has been over two decades since FLL has served as a launchpad for both domestic flights and connections to Latin America and the Caribbean. Also, this year, JetBlue resumed service to Philadelphia and Guayaquil, Ecuador. It reflects the continued emphasis on building out its route map from Fort Lauderdale airport. The airline will continue to lead in premium service across the country from South Florida. It offers more lie-flat "Mint" seats than any other airline in the area.
Competition and Capacity
If we look into JetBlue's record, as per the data shared by Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, it was the second-largest airline at FLL through June, carrying 3.2 million passengers. However, it was a decline of 8.2% if we compare it to the previous year. Spirit Airlines has a record of 4.7 million passengers, which made it the market leader. However, it also experienced a significant drop of 17.9% in 2024.
JetBlue attempted to acquire Spirit with a plan to grow even further. However, it was denied by a federal judge on antitrust grounds. JetBlue expected that the merger would have allowed the airline to ramp up to 250 daily flights from Fort Lauderdale by 2027. However, considering the circumstances, the airline focused on organic growth while cutting less profitable operations. From September 3, JetBlue will cancel all its upcoming flights from Miami International Airport.
Project Underway
JetBlue is working with Broward County officials on Terminal 5, which can help with the expansion plan. Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport will soon have a new five-gate domestic terminal, which will include facilities such as check-in counters, baggage services, TSA screening, food, and retail concessions. There will be a pedestrian bridge to Terminal 4 and the Cypress Parking Garage.
The design is all done for the project, and the construction is yet to begin, but will begin soon. Once completed, T5 is expected to significantly enhance the operational footprint of JetBlue at Fort Lauderdale Airport. Mark Gale, CEO/director of aviation at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International, has shared all the updates on the same.
As JetBlue shifts more of its South Florida strategy toward Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, the airline is clearly betting on the airport as a long-term hub for growth.
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