JetBlue Airways said Thursday it intends to resume flights between Fort Lauderdale and Philadelphia as well as to Guayaquil, Ecuador, in July, as the airline continues to buttress its service along the East Coast and to Latin America.
The airline is offering one-way introductory fares starting at $69 to Philadelphia and $119 to Ecuador. Trips at those prices must be booked online by visiting jetblue.com.
The New York-based airline, which counts Fort Lauderedale-Hollywood International Airport as one of its “focus” destinations, said the additions “come on top of JetBlue’s recent investments in South Florida, growing departures in the region by 6% year-over-year.”
“JetBlue is doubling down as Fort Lauderdale’s leading premium leisure carrier, now offering over 70 daily flights to over 30 destinations, the most flights of any airline this summer to the Caribbean and Latin America,” the airline said.
“With direct access from Philadelphia and Guayaquil via Fort Lauderdale, we’re not only making it easier for more customers to get to their favorite vacation destination, but also to connect with their family and friends, all while strengthening JetBlue’s position as a preferred carrier in South Florida,” said Daniel Shurz, head of revenue, network and enterprise planning.
Both revived routes will be served by Airbus A320s.
Twice daily to Philadelphia
The scheduled travel times for flights between the two cities, which will start July 3, are just under three hours.
The northbound flights to Philadelphia will take off from Fort Lauderdale at 8 a.m. and at 11:45 a.m.
Southbound flights to Fort Lauderdale from Philadelphia will take off at 4:10 p.m. and at 7:55 p.m.
Once daily to Ecuador
The Guayaquil flights, which will operate daily and are scheduled to start July 17, are contingent on Ecuadorian government approval, the airline said
Southbound flights will leave Fort Lauderdale at 10 a.m. Northbound flights to South Florida will take off at 2:40 p.m. local time.
Founded in 1538, Guayaquil is a port city and gateway to the Galapagos Islands in the Pacific Ocean.
In January, JetBlue said it would buttress its connections across Latin America and the Caribbean with its first flights to Honduras and the return of service between Santo Domingo, the Dominican Republic, and Newark.
It also scheduled an expanded presence in Guatemala City, Guatemala, starting April 30 with a new daily flight to and from Fort Lauderdale. The service was in addition to existing service between Guatemala City and New York’s JFK International Airport.
The moves are part of a sweeping U.S. and international route overhaul after the airline failed in its bid to take over South Florida-based Spirit Airlines for $3.8 billion. A Boston federal judge blocked the deal on the grounds it would be unfavorable to consumers.
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