Above: a JetBlue plane

By the Caribbean Journal staff

JetBlue is ramping up its Caribbean flights out of Fort Lauderdale, with new nonstop service to Montego Bay, Jamaica and Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic, the company announced Tuesday.

JetBlue will fly once daily to Montego Bay and Punta Cana, with service officially launching on May 1, 2014. That’s the same day the carrier will launch service to Trinidad.

“Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood was JetBlue’s very first destination and we have always been very committed to the South Florida region,” said Dave Barger, JetBlue’s president and CEO. “With these new nonstop flights to three of the Caribbean’s premier destinations, we will offer 29 nonstop routes and more than 70 daily flights from Fort Lauderdale/ Hollywood on peak days.”

The Punta Cana flights will leave at 11:20 AM and return at 2:40 PM. The Montego Bay service will depart at 12:47 PM and return at 2:25 PM.

“Our partnership with JetBlue has been crucial as we continue to increase airline options for travelers,” said John Lynch, Director of Tourism for the Jamaica Tourist Board. “A new daily service from Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood provides Jamaicans overseas, as well as non-Jamaican travelers a simple, competitively-priced way to fly into the heart of Montego Bay.”