In a recent announcement, JetBlue Airlines will be launching seven new non-stop routes to the wider Caribbean region, all out of Newark Liberty International Airport starting November 19. The new routes will include one daily flight to Aruba; two daily flights to Cancun, Mexico; one daily flight to Montego Bay, Jamaica; a daily flight to Nassau in The Bahamas; one daily flight to Providenciales, Turks and Caicos; one daily flight to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic; and one daily flight to St Maarten. The new routes are “aimed at immediately generating cash and capturing traffic on a variety of new, non-stop routes – many never flown before by the airline,” a JetBlue rep said.
Stimulating Caribbean Travel for Winter 2020
Just two of the aforementioned destinations are currently open for tourism; Jamaica reopened its borders for international tourism in mid-June, while Cancun and the Mexican Caribbean did so shortly thereafter. Although Puerto Rico remains closed for tourist visits, it is likely that the destination will be open by November. “This is the latest example of JetBlue’s ability to be nimble and play offence as we quickly adjust to new customer behaviours and booking patterns,” said Scott Laurence, head of revenue and planning at JetBlue. JetBlue’s recently-announced Caribbean push will also include a trio of new routes from Raleigh-Durham to the wider region.
“This latest series of new routes – even in the current environment – advances our revised network strategy, returns more aircraft to the skies, and doubles down on our ability to generate more cash sooner. It’s a huge boost for many Caribbean destinations that have seen a reduction in airlift amid the ongoing pandemic.”
Consequently, the carrier has already launched reservations on all of the new routes. Its the latest sign of confidence for the carrier amid the challenges posed by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, as well as a huge boost for many Caribbean destinations that have seen a reduction in airlift amid the ongoing pandemic.
