JetBlue To launch Nonstop Flights To San Juan

The Jacksonville Aviation Authority on Monday announced that JetBlue will begin daily nonstop flights between Jacksonville and San Juan, Puerto Rico, beginning next May.The new route will be the only nonstop service between the Caribbean and Jacksonville.This is great news for Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia, especially those at the Jacksonville port, that conduct regular business with Puerto Rico, said JAA Executive Director Steve Grossman.We have been working to put together daily service to Puerto Rico for several years and this announcement is the culmination of a lot of hard work by the JAA staff and the Jacksonville community.

The port of Jacksonville is one of the major exporters of consumer goods to Puerto Rico. Three of the four container lines that serve Puerto Rico are headquartered in Jacksonville.We have been looking forward to this for a long time,said Jacksonville Port Authority's Chief Commercial Officer Roy Schleicher.Making access easier for business travelers, as well as tourists, will allow the Jacksonville-Puerto Rican connection to become even stronger than it already is and will open the door to further opportunity on both sides.

David McConnell, area vice president of Waste Management Inc. of Florida, welcomed the news of the new service. He currently drives to Orlando twice a month to travel to Puerto Rico where Waste Management operates the island’s only two private landfills.This is great news for me, McConnell said.I won’t have to drive to Orlando. This also allows us to expand our operations in Puerto Rico. It’s very beneficial as we grow our business down there.JetBlue also announced that it will add a second daily flight from Jacksonville to Boston in May 2011.