JetBlue plans a pair of new routes between Orlando and the Dominican Republic from November 2023, a down payment on what it sees as more than doubling daily operations in Central Florida should its merger with Spirit Airlines be approved. Flights to Punta Cana and Santiago will launch in November.
JetBlue currently operates flights to just over 20 destinations from Orlando, with an average of 55 daily flights planned in November per Cirium data. Spirit currently has 22 daily departures planned for the month, scattered across more than 50 destinations. But only 14 of the destinations overlap today; 15 once Punta Cana is added in.
Jumping from 77 to 200 daily departures in under 5 years is no easy feat. The carrier promises “flights to approximately 20 markets that are not served by either JetBlue or Spirit from Orlando today” and increased frequencies on another 25 additional routes. JetBlue also says it will bring the Mint business class cabin to its Orlando focus city for transcon flights, thanks to an “increased footprint and relevance” there.
Today’s news comes just five weeks after a JetBlue regulatory filing promised similar growth at Los Angeles and Fort Lauderdale, assuming the merger is approved. It also comes a week after the DOJ filed suit to block the merger.
It is, of course, nearly impossible to hold an airline accountable for such promises. No one is going to suggest that the merger be unwound in 2028 if the growth doesn’t come along as promised here. But there’s also no reason to believe the airlines doesn’t want that growth.
Whether it has the opportunity remains to be seen.
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