JetBlue has announced plans to launch direct service between Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and Simón Bolívar International Airport in Maiquetía, Venezuela — the airline’s first-ever route to the country and a move that could reshape travel for South Florida’s large Venezuelan diaspora.

Route Details and Timeline

The service will operate on the 150-passenger Airbus A320 aircraft, with a target launch before the end of 2026. Tickets are expected to go on sale in the coming months, though the route still requires government approval from both U.S. and Venezuelan authorities — a process that could prove complex given the historically strained diplomatic relationship between the two countries.

“South Florida is home to a large Venezuelan community, and this new route would help connect families and loved ones with JetBlue’s competitive fares and award-winning service,” said Dave Jehn, JetBlue’s vice president of network planning and airline partnerships, in a press release. JetBlue plans to include unlimited in-flight Wi-Fi, seatback entertainment, and complimentary snacks and drinks on the route — a differentiator from the bare-bones carriers that previously served the market.

Filling a Gap in the Market

American Airlines had operated MIA-to-Caracas flights continuously since 1987 but suspended service in 2019 over security concerns. AA resumed its Miami-to-Caracas route on April 30, 2026, and added a second daily flight on May 21 — a sign that demand is returning and that regulators on both sides are willing to approve service again.

The JetBlue route, if approved, would add meaningful competition on a corridor that has been underserved for years. South Florida’s Venezuelan population — estimated at over 200,000 across Miami-Dade and Broward counties, making it the largest Venezuelan diaspora community outside of Colombia — has relied on connecting flights through Panama City, Bogotá, or Santo Domingo since the AA suspension. Those detours add hours of travel time and hundreds of dollars in cost to what should be a roughly three-hour direct flight.

Broader Network Buildout

The Venezuela route is part of JetBlue’s wider FLL expansion, which includes 11 new destinations announced the same day. The combined network buildout comes as JetBlue positions itself to absorb traffic left behind by Spirit Airlines, which shut down on May 2. Broward County Mayor Mark Bogen has said he hopes to call JetBlue the county’s “hometown airline” — a title Spirit held for years from its Dania Beach headquarters. Business of Miami will track the regulatory timeline as it develops.

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