by Mia Taylor
Last updated: 2:40 PM ET, Mon June 18, 2018
With improved demand for travel to Puerto Rico and the island's continued recovery from Hurricane Maria, JetBlue has resumed its full pre-hurricane flight schedule to the destination.
The announcement comes six months earlier than the airline had originally planned.
"Our return to our pre-hurricane flight count is a testament to the incredible resilience of Puerto Rico and our crewmembers who kept flights operating during a very difficult period," Dave Clark, JetBlue's vice president sales and revenue management, said in a statement.
To support the increased service, JetBlue said in a statement that it has hired 50 new crewmembers for its San Juan operation. The new crewmembers join the airline just in time for the summer peak season.
The airline already has nearly 500 crewmembers based in Puerto Rico who support JetBlue's up to 48 daily flights between the island and 13 cities in the U.S. and Caribbean.
JetBlue has been a major supporter of the island's recovery from the hurricane. In the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, JetBlue launched the 100x35JetBlue initiative, which involved 35 ways and 100 days (and beyond) of caring for Puerto Rico and the Caribbean at large.
The various initiatives were aimed at providing immediate needs for Puerto Rico while also identifying long-term partnerships with key entities to help support the return of tourism, contribute to the local economy and invest in the island's future.
JetBlue said in a statement it has gradually increased its flights as demand has grown from 'visiting friends and relatives customers' who travel back and forth to the island.
The airline has also been working with PRTC to encourage visitors to return to Puerto Rico and to offer world-class hospitality both in the air and on the ground through JetBlue's hospitality training for industry workers.
"We are honored to be the airline that brings Puerto Rican families together and transports tourists to the beautiful beaches and attractions of this great region. We will continue to partner with the Puerto Rico Tourism Company to bring back tourism to this beautiful island," said Clark.
JetBlue's return of capacity to Puerto Rico coincides with its 16th anniversary of service in San Juan.
"The best way to celebrate JetBlue's 16th anniversary on the island is precisely by receiving the passengers that mark the total stabilization of service of Puerto Rico's main airline," Carla G. Campos, executive director of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company, said in a statement. "The fact that JetBlue has been able to match seat capacity levels to pre-hurricane figures six months earlier than expected, shows that demand has increased and that we are on track for a historic recovery."
PRTC announced in April the island was experiencing a recent surge in visitors. As TravelPulse's Donald Wood reported, preliminary spring break numbers from PRTC showed record-breaking performances among the 130 open hotels on the island, which caused the tourism outlook for 2018 to swing more positive.
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