JetBlue officials stand with MHT Airport Director Ted Kitchens, Manchester Mayor Jay Ruais and Gov. Kelly Ayotte during a ribbon-cutting at an event celebrating JetBlue’s inaugural flight at the airport on Jan. 23. (Photo by Trisha Nail)
Granite Staters will soon have a more direct way to get from Manchester to Manhattan, or beyond via the Big Apple, after service to the New York City area was set to be discontinued next month.
JetBlue will begin offering nonstop direct flights from Manchester-Boston Regional Airport (MHT) to John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), the New York City-based airline announced in a news release Thursday morning.
Flights to JFK, which is JetBlue’s primary hub, are set to start on June 12 and run through Oct. 25, with two flights daily. The first flight each day will run from 7–8:10 a.m., and the second will be scheduled for 9:59–11:28 p.m.
JetBlue today began offering limited-time, one-way fares through its website for the route, priced at starting rates of $49. The airline will use an Airbus A320 aircraft for the route including snack and drink service, onboard Wi-Fi internet and in-flight entertainment on seat backs.
The announcement comes just months after Chicago-based United Airlines announced in November that it will discontinue its service between Manchester and Newark Liberty International Airport next month, on March 30, replacing it with service to Washington Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C. MHT Airport Director Ted Kitchens called the connection to D.C. a “highly-requested route” at the time of its announcement.
This means MHT will be without a connection to the New York City area for just over two months until JetBlue’s flights to JFK launch in June.
“With this new route, we’re making it easier than ever for travelers in New Hampshire and greater New England to get to the Big Apple and beyond,” said Dave Jehn, JetBlue’s Vice President of Network Planning and Airline Partnerships, in the news release.
“Whether it’s a quick getaway to New York City or a seamless connection for a sun-soaked trip to the Caribbean, this service provides customers with a convenient and comfortable travel experience from their home airport.”
JetBlue kicked off its inaugural flights from MHT last month. The airline’s first plane flew from Manchester to Southwest Florida International Airport, in Fort Myers, Florida, on Jan. 23. The airline also offers flights from Manchester to Orlando and Fort Lauderdale.
