Arrived: JetBlue makes debut with new Tallahassee direct flight

JetBlue has officially touched down in Tallahassee.

Just outside Gate B6, students with the Raa Middle School steel drum band played upbeat, island-inspired songs as city staff, parents and others gathered and waited inside the terminal of Tallahassee International Airport. They peered out the large bay windows as the flight came into view and cheered.

The moment had finally arrived.

The New York-based carrier is introducing its low-fare service with the inaugural direct flight from Tallahassee to Fort Lauderdale — a moment more than 10 years in the making.

The full flight was made up of a mix of passengers, including college students returning to the capital city from winter break and Tallahassee Mayor John Dailey and his chief of staff, who were greeted by City Commissioners Curtis Richardson and Dianne Williams-Cox. Commissioners Jeremy Matlow and Jack Porter were not in attendance.

Passengers deplaned and received gift bags from the airport. Several had no idea they were a part of history.

Mya Postell, a junior Florida State student from Miami, was pleasantly surprised to learn about the inaugural flight. From Fort Lauderdale's airport, she said there were balloons and cameras inside the terminal.

"I was like, 'what's going on? It's free food. Like what's happening?" she said, standing outside the baggage claim, adding there were giveaways on the plane, too. "I researched it and looked it up: what was the first ever JetBlue flight to Tallahassee, and it said January 4, arriving at 9:50 a.m. And, I was like, 'oh, that's me.' "

The direct flight to South Florida provides international access to more than 100 destinations, including Latin America, South America, the Caribbean, Canada and the United Kingdom.

Tallahassee's new flight is the latest route for JetBlue as it expands its air travel network throughout Florida. Its most recent in-state travel route was launched in Jacksonville with direct flights to Fort Lauderdale.

"It's done phenomenal," said Rob Land, who heads government affairs and is general counsel at JetBlue. "So we're hoping that this route starting with one a day on a big jet plane, the most legroom, the TVs, the Wi-Fi, people are going to say, 'Wow, I like this. I don't like that drive and it's better for the environment.' "

JetBlue currently offers service in its focus cities of Fort Lauderdale and Orlando, along with Miami, West Palm Beach, Key West, Jacksonville, Fort Myers, Sarasota/Bradenton and Tampa. Within the state, JetBlue currently offers flights from Fort Lauderdale to Jacksonville.

With Tallahassee service starting, JetBlue will now serve over 40 destinations from Fort Lauderdale. The inaugural flight was capped off with a celebratory reception and remarks from a host of speakers, who applauded all those involved to see the day come to fruition.

Mayor Dailey shared the tone of the morning that started in Fort Lauderdale, including several legislators who came out just to witness the occasion.

"There was a lot of excitement," he said. "The synergy between Fort Lauderdale and Tallahassee, with the nexus being JetBlue, has been absolutely phenomenal. We are going to be the best partner that you have ever seen. We look forward to expanding our flights with JetBlue all over the world."

Big leap for TLH airport

JetBlue's debut is the latest milestone for Tallahassee's airport, which continues to see a steady increase in passenger traffic. The airport served about 214,900 total passengers in the third quarter of 2023, a 5% increase (10,290) compared to third quarter 2022.

Tallahassee City Manager Reese Goad said the airport is on track to increase its economic impact on the region to $1 billion and reach one million total passengers by the end of 2024.

"We've got a five-year strategic plan. ... In that plan, it says that our airport will be a billion-dollar contributor to our economy," Goad said. "That's significant. We just eclipsed $850 million."

He added: "And so now the sky's the limit with JetBlue coming into town."

David Pollard, the city's aviation director at TLH, said a $28 million capital project to build an "International Passenger Facility" is underway at the airport. In a few years, residents will be able to book non-stop flights overseas, including charter, business or general aviation flights. Some could include flights to the Caribbean, Central and South America and Canada.

Pollard also touched on other improvements in and around the airport that include the establishment of a Foreign Trade Zone, a terminal modernization project and the widening of Capital Circle Southwest.

"Each effort is part of our larger picture to ensure Tallahassee meets the needs of our growing community and economy while providing exceptional service," Pollard said.

JetBlue's debut in Tallahassee is already being used as a recruitment tool to attract new businesses to the capital city.

Keith Bowers, who heads the Tallahassee-Leon County Office of Economic Vitality, said having another major carrier here in the area sends a message that "Tallahassee is a player" and there's a ripple effect that takes place in attracting a major company like JetBlue.

"One trip to Fort Lauderdale per day is a great start but we do anticipate that increasing over time," Bowers said. "We've been talking to different companies, and that's one of the major selling points: we have an international airport, we've got the Foreign Trade Zone that is imminent ... It's part of the city's overall strategic plan, to have all these things kind of come online at the same time."

Rob Clarke, newly appointed chairman of the board of the Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce, said transportation is a key part of a community's quality of life.

"To have more accessible air transportation within the state is just so helpful for making Tallahassee more accessible to business leaders and to others that come to Tallahassee on business. (It's) going to be a tremendous asset in the community," Clarke said.

Contact Reporter TaMaryn Waters at tlwaters@tallahassee.com and follow @TaMarynWaters on X.

Here's what you need to know about JetBlue's service in Tallahassee

Flight details

JetBlue will offer year-round flights from Tallahassee to Fort Lauderdale using the airline's Airbus A320 aircraft, which has a capacity of up to 170 seats.

Schedule between Fort Lauderdale (FLL) and Tallahassee (TLH)

Short-time flight deal

In honor of the inaugural flight, JetBlue is offering a limited time special on $49 one-way fares for flights between Tallahassee and Fort Lauderdale and Tallahassee online only on jetblue.com. Deal ends Jan. 5, 2024.

Will Tallahassee get more flights?

The new permanent flight from Tallahassee to Fort Lauderdale is largely viewed as a stepping stone. Rob Land, JetBlue's head of government affairs, said "the more people that do it, the more flights we add."

"It's a pretty simple formula," Land said. So encourage residents to utilize the low fares, including the two-day special being offered in honor of the inaugural flight.

He said every JetBlue city, including the No. 1 routes in New York and Fort Lauderdale that get over 2,000 flights a day, started with one flight a day.

He said, "People came, we added another. People came, we kept at it. That's how JetBlue works."

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: JetBlue debuts new Tallahassee direct flight to Fort Lauderdale