JetBlue began a new daily route between Mercedita International Airport in Ponce and Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Ponce Mayor Marlese Sifre Rodríguez announced. The route started operations on July 9 using an Airbus A320 with 162 passenger capacity, departing Ponce at 5:00 AM and arriving from Fort Lauderdale at 11:50 PM. The municipality welcomed the inaugural flight with plena music and tourism promotional materials about Ponce, known as "la Ciudad Señorial."
Sifre Rodríguez called the new route a major achievement for Ponce and the southern region, saying it expands development opportunities, strengthens tourism, and helps more visitors discover the city. She noted Fort Lauderdale is a key JetBlue connection hub with access to roughly 46 destinations across the U.S., the Caribbean, and Latin America. The mayor said the new air connection strengthens the local economy, brings the diaspora closer, and solidifies Ponce as the main gateway to southern Puerto Rico.
She credited collaboration among the municipality, the Ports Authority, the Puerto Rico Tourism Company, and JetBlue in making the route possible, and reaffirmed a commitment to strengthening Mercedita International Airport as a hub for economic development in the south.