JetBlue Airways unveiled nine new routes it will launch from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL), including adding Cali, Colombia, to its network.
The carrier will compete with ULCC Spirit Airlines on service between the Florida airport and Cali’s Alfonso Bonilla Aragon International Airport (CLO). FLL-based Spirit currently operates 2,786 two-way weekly seats on the route, according to OAG Schedules Analyzer data. The FLL-CLO route is exclusive to Spirit.
JetBlue has not yet settled on a launch date or frequencies for the FLL-CLO route, but the other eight routes will be opened in November or December. By the end of the year, JetBlue will have launched 17 new routes in 2025 from FLL and plans to offer 113 peak-day departures from the airport for the upcoming winter season. By December, the New York-based carrier will operate to 46 destinations from FLL.
In addition to the new routes, JetBlue plans to increase frequencies on nine routes currently served from FLL.
The build-up at FLL comes as Spirit struggles through a second Chapter 11 restructuring after emerging from bankruptcy protection earlier this year. A number of U.S. carriers, including Frontier Airlines and United Airlines, have recently moved to compete against Spirit or back fill routes Spirit is exiting.
According to FLL, Spirit had a leading 28.7% passenger market share at the airport as of June, followed by JetBlue at 20.3%.
Six of the nine routes JetBlue is launching from FLL have been served by the New York-based carrier previously, including New Orleans and Pittsburgh. Both of those routes will be opened Nov. 1, to be served 2X-daily and daily, respectively.
Six routes will be launched from Dec. 4. These include service from FLL to: Aruba (3X-weekly); Cartagena, Colombia (4X-weekly); Grand Cayman (3X-weekly); Liberia, Costa Rica (daily); San Pedro Sula, Honduras (4X-weekly); and St. Maarten (4X-weekly).
“We are truly excited and welcome this expansion with open arms,” FLL CEO Mark Gale said.
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