Daytona Beach, FL – Direct daily non-stop flights from Daytona Beach to New York City are about to begin.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held around noon Thursday at the gate once the first JetBlue Airlines flight arrives at Daytona Beach International Airport from John F. Kennedy International Airport.
Daytona Beach will become the 7th Florida city JetBlue services and its smallest market in the state. JetBlue also flies into Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Jacksonville, Orlando, Sarasota and West Palm Beach.
JetBlue is expected to generate $298,000 in revenue to the county yearly as part of its lease agreement, not including the joint use portion for the baggage claim areas. That lease runs until October 2017.
The Volusia County Council unanimously approved a $300,000 incentive package last month for JetBlue to begin non-stop daily service from Daytona Beach to New York City.
$190,000 in that one-time incentive package comes from the county’s economic development fund. Another $95,000 is from the CEO Business Alliance and the remaining $15,000 is from Consolidated Tomoka Land Company.
The county will pay all that money directly to JetBlue in the form of 4 quarterly payments of $75,000 each so long as JetBlue keeps flying in and out of Daytona Beach.
The incentive package is part of a $2.3 million package used to lure JetBlue to Daytona Beach. That package includes a $250,000 “travel bank” where prominent local business pledged money for ticket purchases for the next 2 years.
JetBlue joins Delta Air Lines and American Airlines as the 3rd regular carrier at DBIA.
Copyright 2016 Southern Stone Communications.