JetBlue to offer daily West Coast flights from Richmond International Airport

JetBlue Airways announced Thursday that it will offer daily flights from Richmond International Airport (RIC) to Los Angeles (LAX), Las Vegas (LAS) and Tampa (TPA) starting in November and December.

Once-a-day service to TPA will start Nov. 19 and service to LAX and LAS will start Dec. 18. Daily service to Tampa begins on Nov. 19.

“Richmond International Airport (RIC) welcomes JetBlue’s historic news this morning, announcing the airport’s first-ever transcontinental option to Los Angeles, first-ever service to Las Vegas and new nonstop service to Tampa,” Patricia O’Bannon, Capital Region Airport Commission chairman, said in a statement. “Each of the three destinations are popular for Richmond region travelers and the flights certainly make it easier than ever for visitors to enjoy the attractions of Virginia’s Capital Region.”

“JetBlue’s announcement of service from Richmond to three premier destinations, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Tampa, is incredible news for the region,” Perry J. Miller, president and CEO of the Capital Region Airport Commission, said in a statement. “Hat’s off to JetBlue for recognizing the demand potential of the Richmond market and fast-tracking these routes to start in November and December. RIC is very appreciative of these opportunities.”

The Thursday announcement came as part of a larger JetBlue initiative which launches 24 new travel routes.

“This is the latest example of JetBlue’s ability to be nimble and play offense as we quickly adjust to new customer behaviors and booking patterns,” Scott Laurence, JetBlue head of revenue and planning, said in a statement. “This latest series of new routes – even in the current environment – advances our revised network strategy, returns more aircraft to the skies and doubles down on our ability to generate more cash sooner.”

RIC offers nonstop flights through seven airlines and in 2019 had 4.38 million passengers. The airport supports 16,000 jobs and contributes $2.1 billion of annual economic activity to the Richmond region, according to the Virginia Department of Aviation.

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