JetBlue to Expand Service to Aruba, Enhancing Travel Options
Aruba Airport Authority N.V. (AAA) and the Aruba Tourism Authority (ATA) recently concluded a highly productive meeting with JetBlue Airways at the airline’s headquarters in New York City. The meeting served as a strategic platform for key stakeholders to explore and capitalize on opportunities to enhance travel options and strengthen connectivity to Aruba.
Representatives from AAA N.V. including Mrs. Jo-Anne Meaux-Arends, Aviation Business Development Executive, and Ms. Joanne Trimon, Research and Development Officer; and ATA, including Ms. Ronella Croes, CEO; Mrs. Sanju Luidens, CMO; and Mrs. Sjeidy Dijkhof-Feliciano, Area Director of North America, engaged in fruitful discussions with JetBlue executives, including Mr. Eric Friedman, Director of Route Planning; Mr. Andrew Uzenoff, Manager of Route Planning; and Ms. Nicole Goveas, Manager of Revenue Management.
The discussions covered a wide range of topics, with a notable emphasis on specific areas, such as operations, destination updates, increasing flight frequency to Aruba and other potential capacity investments in other markets in the near future.
JetBlue, a prominent airline partner in the U.S. market, currently operates 14 weekly flights from Aruba to New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport (JFK) and 22 weekly flights from Boston (BOS).
JetBlue set to expand service to Aruba 2023-2024
At the end of October for the winter period 2023-2024, JetBlue will increase its weekly service from Newark (EWR) to daily flights. This means that there will be a total of seven flights per week, significantly increasing the frequency of flights from Newark to Aruba. In addition to the increased winter service, JetBlue plans to offer year-round service from Newark (EWR) to Aruba in 2024. With these changes, JetBlue will be adding approximately 63,000 additional seats out of the Newark area.
Exciting developments were also shared regarding flight frequencies and seat capacity for winter 2023-2024. Starting January 2024, the carrier will be increasing operations from 2 to 3 daily flights on its JFK-AUA route, with 4 scheduled flights on Saturdays. In addition, the carrier will also increase service on its BOS-AUA route, going from 2 to 3 daily flights, with 4 scheduled flights on Saturdays. Mr. Andrew Uzenoff, JetBlue’s Manager of Route Planning, emphasized that 2023 has witnessed an unusually high increase in demand during September and October, highlighting the island’s significance as a strong and integral destination for JetBlue, ranking high among other leisure routes in the Caribbean.
Despite facing constraints at Fort Lauderdale (FLL) due to limited international gates and aircraft availability, the carrier is confident that its pending alliance with Spirit Airlines will be a game-changer, significantly expanding capabilities in the region. Additionally, as part of JetBlue’s fleet optimization strategy, the carrier is introducing new aircraft with increased seat capacity while phasing out its older aircraft with the aim of enhancing overall travel experience for passengers while meeting the rising demand for its services.
The successful outcomes of the meeting further solidify the robust partnership between Aruba and JetBlue, paving the way for continued growth and elevated travel experiences for all passengers.
AUA Airport is one of the busiest airports in the Caribbean region, with 22 different airlines operating into Aruba contributing to processing over 2.5 million passengers per year and providing air service to 22 cities and 34 non-stop destinations worldwide. AUA Airport’s markets served comprise of 78% from the United States & Canada, 12% from Latin America, 6% from Europe, and 4% from Dutch Caribbean, year to date, Jun 2023. AUA Airport attributes this to the island’s stable economic and political climate, hospitable and multilingual population, and safe environment. AUA Airport’s aspiration is to become one of the most Sustainable, Safe, and Future Proof airports of the Latin America & Caribbean region, providing a trusted workplace, modern airport facilities and excellent customer service which reflects Aruban hospitality, contributing to a prosperous future for Aruba.
Learn more about what’s happening at AUA Airport by visiting www.airportaruba.com