JetBlue Welcomes 2026 With New Nonstop Service From Fort Lauderdale

In a bid to widen its popularity in terms of services, JetBlue Airways (JBLU) is all set to welcome the new year with two new nonstop routes from Fort Lauderdale and increased flights on an existing route. This move is expected to solidify JBLU’s position as the largest carrier in the Fort Lauderdale region.

To this end, JetBlue announced the launch of two new year-round nonstop routes from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) to Orlando International Airport (MCO) and Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW). Apart from these new services, JBLU also plans to include two additional daily flights on its existing route between Fort Lauderdale and New York’s LaGuardia Airport.

Starting May 21, JBLU aims to provide twice-daily nonstop service between Fort Lauderdale and Orlando (MCO). This Fort Lauderdale–Orlando route is expected to solidify JetBlue’s position in the Sunshine State, offering customers an alternative to driving between cities. This route aims to directly connect South and Central Florida focus cities with morning and evening options. To promote the expansion, JetBlue is offering introductory one-way fares starting at $49 between Fort Lauderdale and Orlando for a limited time.

The daily service to Dallas is likely to start from March 12 and continue year-round, expanding from its originally announced spring break–only schedule.

Fort Lauderdale remains central to JetBlue’s Florida growth strategy. In 2025, the airline expanded to 10 Florida destinations, with Destin/Fort Walton Beach being the 11^th, set to be launched in March. JetBlue is also operating its largest-ever Fort Lauderdale schedule, which includes 113 daily departures and 46 nonstop destinations in December, coupled with expanded service to Latin America, the Caribbean, and major U.S. cities.

Further, JetBlue continues to grow its Mint premium offering in Fort Lauderdale and Orlando and plans to launch a dedicated Mint inflight crewmember base in Fort Lauderdale later this year.

Dave Jehn, vice president, network planning and airline partnerships at JetBlue, stated, “These additions reflect the momentum we’ve built in Florida and our continued investment in Fort Lauderdale as a key gateway in our network. By connecting our focus cities and expanding successful routes, we’re giving customers more reasons to choose JetBlue for travel within Florida and beyond.”

JBLU’s Zacks Rank

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

Stocks to Consider

Investors interested in the Transportation sector may also consider Expeditors International of Washington, Inc. (EXPD) and LATAM Airlines Group LTM.

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

Expeditors has an expected earnings growth rate of 3.50% for the current year. The company has an encouraging earnings surprise history. Its earnings outpaced the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the trailing four quarters, delivering an average beat of 13.94%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for EXPD’s 2025 earnings has moved 7.63% north in the past 60 days. Shares of Expeditors have gained 30.7% over the past six months.

LTM presently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). LTM has an expected earnings growth rate of 52.63% for the current year. The company has a solid earnings surprise history. Its earnings outpaced the Zacks Consensus Estimate in three of the trailing four quarters, and met in the remaining one, delivering an average beat of 29.84%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for LTM’s 2025 earnings has moved 5.34% north in the past 60 days. LTM shares gained 32.5% in the past six months.

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

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