JetBlue Airways is seeking to enter the Venezuela market for the first time, announcing plans to launch nonstop service to Caracas.
The New York-based carrier intends to begin flights connecting Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) and Caracas Simon Bolivar International Airport before the end of 2026, subject to government approvals and the completion of regulatory processes required to operate in Venezuela. Flights would operate using Airbus A320 aircraft.
If approved, the route would become JetBlue’s first service to Venezuela and further expand the reopening of a market that was closed to U.S. airlines for nearly seven years.
The planned launch follows the recent return of both American Airlines and United Airlines to Venezuela. American resumed Miami-Caracas service in April and has since increased frequency to 14X-weekly flights using Envoy Air-operated Embraer 175 aircraft. United is scheduled to restart daily Houston-Caracas service on Aug. 11 using Boeing 737-8 aircraft after a nine-year absence.
JetBlue says the proposed service is designed to capitalize on strong VFR demand between South Florida and Venezuela, while also leveraging Fort Lauderdale’s role as the airline’s gateway to Latin America and the Caribbean.
“Fort Lauderdale continues to serve as JetBlue's gateway to the Caribbean and Latin America, and we believe there is meaningful opportunity to expand our presence in the region with planned service to Caracas,” says Dave Jehn, JetBlue vice president of network planning and airline partnerships.
JetBlue’s move comes as airlines position themselves for renewed growth in Venezuela following significant political changes earlier this year and the subsequent easing of restrictions on commercial air service between the two countries.
Prior to the suspension of U.S.-Venezuela flights in 2019, the market supported nearly 602,000 two-way O&D passengers annually, according to Sabre Market Intelligence data. South Florida historically accounted for the largest share of that traffic, driven by a substantial Venezuelan expatriate community and business ties.
The latest planned expansion comes as JetBlue continues to grow its footprint in Fort Lauderdale following the demise of Spirit Airlines. Earlier this month, JetBlue announced 11 new routes from the airport, including domestic services to Baltimore/Washington, Charlotte, Nashville, Detroit, Houston Intercontinental, Chicago O’Hare, Columbus and Indianapolis, as well as international routes to Barranquilla and Cali in Colombia and Ponce in Puerto Rico.
The carrier is also increasing frequencies on several existing routes, including Austin, Dallas-Fort Worth, Raleigh-Durham, Santo Domingo and Santiago de los Caballeros. Overall, JetBlue expects to operate nearly 130 daily departures from Fort Lauderdale during summer 2026, a 75% increase year on year.
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