JetBlue Expands Fort Lauderdale Network With New Routes

JetBlue Airways JBLU is expanding its Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) operations, cementing its position as the number-one carrier with a record 113 peak daily departures this winter. From November, the airline plans to launch nine new nonstop routes, including its first-ever service to Cali, Colombia. Other new destinations include Aruba, Cartagena, Grand Cayman, Liberia, New Orleans, Pittsburgh, San Pedro Sula and St. Maarten. To mark the milestone, JetBlue is offering special fares of $113 or less for nonstop flights from FLL.

The low-cost airline is also boosting service on nine popular routes, adding frequencies to Atlanta, Boston, Hartford, Cancún, Kingston, Punta Cana, San José, San Juan and Santiago. By December, JetBlue will operate its largest-ever schedule from FLL, serving 46 nonstop destinations. Most flights are available for booking now, with Cali’s schedule to be announced soon.

These moves align with JetBlue’s JetForward strategy to build the leading East Coast leisure network. Fort Lauderdale, JetBlue’s first destination 25 years ago, remains a cornerstone of its network. To support this growth, the company will open a dedicated Mint base for in-flight crew members in early 2026, reinforcing its commitment to comfort, value and customer experience.

Share Price Performance

Owing to such tailwinds, share prices of JBLU have risen 22.9% in the quarter-to-date period, outperforming the 16.2% growth of its industry.

JetBlue’s Zacks Rank

JBLU currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

Stocks to Consider

Investors interested in the Zacks Transportation - Airline industry may consider LATAM Airlines Group LTM and SkyWest SKYW.

LTM currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

LTM has an expected earnings growth rate of 45% for the current year. The company has a mixed earnings surprise history. Its earnings outpaced the Zacks Consensus Estimate in two of the trailing four quarters, missed once and met in the remaining one, delivering an average beat of 4.04%.

SKYW currently sports a Zacks Rank #1.

SkyWest has an expected earnings growth rate of 28.06% for the current year. The company has an encouraging earnings surprise history. Its earnings topped the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the trailing four quarters, delivering an average beat of 21.92%.

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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