JetBlue launches 'Capital-to-Capital' service between Washington and San Juan

WASHINGTON and SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - JetBlue Airways today launched its new nonstop "capital-to-capital" service from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport to San Juan, Puerto Rico today.

JetBlue was granted a pair of beyond-perimeter slot exemptions from the United States Department of Transportation to launch this new long-distance flight in May. JetBlue's flights are the only nonstop service between D.C.'s downtown airport and San Juan. This route is JetBlue's 14th destination from San Juan and will operate from JetBlue's exclusive new 'home' in Terminal A at the Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport.

"Today's new flight represents JetBlue's continued growth at National Airport, having grown from an initial nine flights in 2010, to our 18 daily non-stop, low fare departures today," said Rob Land, senior vice president of government affairs and associate general counsel at JetBlue. "It was gratifying to see the overwhelming community support that made this flight happen and this support represents exactly what JetBlue is about: listening to our customers. We'd like to thank both Secretary LaHood and his team at the Department of Transportation and Governor Fortuño and his administration for their support."

"San Juan's new capital-to-capital direct service on JetBlue is a major step in our effort to be the premier U.S. hub in the Caribbean, giving travelers new, low-cost fare options that will boost Puerto Rico's standing as the best destination for business and tourism in the region," Puerto Rico Gov. Luis Fortuño said.

JetBlue's schedule between Washington D.C. and San Juan:

Washington D.C. to San Juan:
San Juan to Washington D.C.:

Depart – Arrive
Depart – Arrive

8:51 a.m. – 12:35 p.m.
5:55 p.m. – 9:44 p.m.

- Flights operate daily effective today-
- All times local -

JetBlue's flights to and from San Juan are operated with the airline's comfortable Airbus A320 fleet, with the most legroom of any domestic airline in coach (based on average fleet-wide seat pitch). JetBlue is Puerto Rico's largest airline, offering more seats in and out of the island than any other carrier with service to 14 nonstop destinations throughout the U.S. mainland and the Caribbean. Since JetBlue first began operating into San Juan in 2002, the number of fliers traveling with JetBlue to/from the Commonwealth's capital has grown an average of 28 percent each year. From San Juan, customers can connect on to St. Croix, Santo Domingo, St. Maarten, and St. Thomas.

JetBlue launched service from Reagan National in November 2010, after more than a decade of attempting to enter the tightly restricted market. Most recently, it purchased eight slot pairs at an auction held by the Department of Transportation which allowed the airline to increase its total departures to 18. With its expanded access to Reagan National, in June JetBlue increased its business-friendly schedule of seven daily roundtrip flights between Reagan National and Boston to 10 daily flights, tripled its daily service to its focus cities in Fort Lauderdale and Orlando, Fla., and launched a new nonstop route to Tampa, Fla.