US low cost carrier JetBlue (B6/JBU) has started its new service between Edinburgh and New York with the inaugural flight taking off yesterday.
The new daily service is operated by an Airbus A320neo featuring JetBlue’s “Mint” cabin featuring 16 Mint Suites offering a fully lie-flat bed.
Operating into New York JFK the JetBlue service offers a level of competition to the exiting legacy carrier operating on the same route.
“JetBlue has redefined transatlantic travel by introducing low fares and great service in markets dominated by high fare legacy carriers,” said Marty St. George, president, JetBlue. “We look forward to connecting Scotland and the Northeast this summer with our award winning Mint and core service that will bring this signature JetBlue experience to Edinburgh.”
The JFK to Edinburgh flight (B673) leaves JFK at 21:12 arriving in Edinburgh at 0930 the next morning.
The Edinburgh to JFK light (B672) leaves Edinburgh at 1230 arriving into JFK at 15:06.
“Our relationship with the US is a special one. We welcome hundreds of thousands of visitors to Scotland and the wider UK from North America every year and it’s also our top export market. This new direct JetBlue route from Edinburgh to New York City will really help strengthen links between our two great countries,” said John Lamont, UK Government Minister for Scotland. “Just last month, I walked down Sixth Avenue with other representatives from the UK Government as part of the annual Tartan Day celebrations in Manhattan, promoting our most important exports – whisky, energy and financial services, and our rich culture. This flight route will make it easier for visitors from the U.S. to come and see for themselves what a uniquely attractive destination we have here, while also easing travel for Scottish visitors wanting to explore the Big Apple and beyond.”
Flights operated throughout the summer until 30th September 2024 and with Edinburgh being the UK’s second most popular destination for US travellers Scotland will be hoping for lots of incoming traffic.
“We are excited to welcome JetBlue to Scotland with the launch of this new direct service. North America is our most valuable international visitor market, and we are seeing record levels of demand here, welcoming almost one million visitors last year, surpassing not only pre-pandemic levels but also other parts of the UK,” said Malcolm Roughead, Chief Executive of VisitScotland. “We know these visitors are drawn to Scotland for a variety of reasons from our dramatic landscapes to our rich history and culture and warm people, with Edinburgh, Scotland’s capital offering a well-connected gateway for exploring the rest of the country. These visitors who often stay longer and spend more, are hugely important to Scotland’s tourism industry and wider economy supporting businesses, jobs and communities and why making it as easy as possible for people to visit here with direct access is key. Following a difficult few years for the travel and tourism industry, we are delighted to be working with new partner JetBlue to promote this new direct service and encourage more US visitors to choose Scotland for their next holiday.”
JetBlue also recently launched its Blueprint by JetBlue™, customers in both core and Mint meaning passengers can enjoy a personalized inflight experience through AVANT seatback touchscreens, featuring a huge selection of inflight entertainment, including exclusive content from JetBlue’s streaming partner, Peacock.
Passengers can also stay connected throughout the flight with fast, free and unlimited high-speed Fly-Fi for a multi-screen experience–just like they enjoy at home.