IE Business Daily Business news for the Inland Empire.
Jet Blue Airways will begin offering non-stop flights from Palm Springs International Airport to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York starting next year.
The new flights will operate five times a week, Thursday through Monday, beginning Jan. 14 through May 1, according to a statement released Monday by JetBlue.
Tickets, which went on sale Tuesday, are priced at an introductory rate of $99 for a one-way trip. Palm Springs International will be the discount airline’s ninth destination in California.
The new flights, which are awaiting governmental approval, are being welcomed enthusiastically by the Coachella Valley business community, said Rick Blackburn, spokesman for the Greater Palm Springs Convention & Visitors Bureau.
“It’s a great move for JetBlue and a great move for the Coachella Valley,” said Blackburn, who said the move has been in the works for a while, but that the talks between the airline and the airport got serious about two months ago. “We have a lot of people who have to travel to the east coast frequently, and they’re excited about it.
Local officials hope JetBlue adds other destinations out of Palm Springs International, Blackburn said.
Palm Springs International, located near downtown Palm Springs, accommodates more than 1.5 million passengers every year from the United States and Canada, according to the statement.
