NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) -- JetBlue announced Tuesday that it will serve Long Island's MacArthur Airport for the first time with flights to three Florida cities starting later this year.
Service to and from the airport in Ronkonkoma will begin in late October, the airline said. Ticket sales start Tuesday.
JetBlue will offer flights from MacArthur Airport (ISP) to Orlando International Airport (MCO), Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) and Palm Beach International Airport (PBI).
The new schedule includes one flight daily to and from Orlando; four flights weekly to and from West Palm Beach; and four flights weekly to and from Fort Lauderdale. See the full schedule below.
JetBlue said it was offering limited time $49 one-way fares for flights on the new routes to celebrate the announcement.
The airline, which is headquartered in Long Island City, said the expansion underscores its commitment to the New York area and will provide Long Islanders with more travel options to popular destinations in Florida.
"Long Island is an integral part of the New York Metro area, and we are excited to bring our award-winning service to customers in this community," said Dave Jehn, JetBlue's vice president of network planning and airline partnerships.
Long Islanders have long requested the expanded service, according to Islip Town Supervisor Angie Carpenter, who said, "for years residents have asked, and we’ve been listening."
Sen. Chuck Schumer also applauded the expansion, saying, "I will continue working with all stakeholders to build MacArthur Airport into a roaring economic engine and world-class transportation hub."