JetBlue launching direct service between RIC and Puerto Rico in 2026

, and Citizen Staff Reports

December 3, 2025 . 10:32 AM

1 min read

JetBlue will begin year-round nonstop service between Richmond International Airport and San Juan, Puerto Rico March 26, 2026, giving Central Virginia travelers a new direct option to the Caribbean.

The new route, part of a major expansion by JetBlue in Puerto Rico, will operate three times a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Flights from RIC will depart at 9 a.m. and arrive in San Juan at 12:55 p.m., while return flights will depart San Juan at 1:50 p.m. and land at RIC at 5:25 p.m. Introductory fares start at $99 one-way on jetblue.com, available through Dec. 5, for select travel dates in April and May.

JetBlue announced the new RIC service as one of five new nonstop routes from San Juan, alongside Philadelphia; Jacksonville, Florida; Norfolk; and Buffalo. All five routes will operate year-round. The airline, already Puerto Rico’s largest carrier, will average more than 40 daily departures from San Juan once the new routes take effect.

JetBlue President Marty St. George said Puerto Rico has played a major role in shaping the airline’s identity for more than two decades and emphasized that the new routes deepen its long-term commitment to the island.

Puerto Rico Gov. Jenniffer González-Colón called the announcement evidence of the island administration’s effort to strengthen air connectivity and boost tourism, saying the expansion will help more U.S. travelers discover Puerto Rico while giving island residents additional options to visit family, travel for business, and support the local economy.

JetBlue, which began service in Puerto Rico in 2002, employs nearly 800 crew members there and maintains extensive community partnerships in the U.S. territory. As part of the announcement, the airline renewed its cooperative marketing agreement with the Puerto Rico Tourism Company, which will fund digital marketing campaigns, destination branding, and promotional efforts to support the expanded service, including the new Richmond–San Juan route.