By the Caribbean Journal staff

Puerto Rico Governor Luis Fortuño has announced new nonstop service by air carrier JetBlue between the Luis Muñoz Marín airport in San Juan and Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington, DC.

The Department of Transportation approved the route after a campaign of support by Fortuño’s administration and the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration.

The flights will begin in the autumn.

Fortuño said the new service between San Juan and Washington strengthened the position of Puerto Rico as a “preferred link” in the Caribbean.

“These new flights between the two capital cities will expand our air transport offerings and inject more competition into the market,” Fortuño said.

According to Fortuño, the campaign began with a letter to US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, along with an accompanying proposal by JetBlue.

Nicole Guillemard, the executive director of the Federal Affairs Administration, said the agency collected more than 500 letters of support for the new service.

“It is a great day for JetBlue as we further expand our low-fare presence in two of our most rapidly growing cities, Washington, DC and San Juan,” said Rob Land, senior vice president of government affairs and associate general counsel at JetBlue.

JetBlue is Puerto Rico’s largest airline, with service to 13 nonstop destinations in the US and the Caribbean.

Puerto Rico’s government is reporting an increase of 5 percent in air departures in 2012.