An airline with a decade of service in Charleston is bringing back a transcontinental flight between the Holy City and the City of Angels.
JetBlue Airways will resume nonstop service five times a week between Charleston International and Los Angeles International, starting Feb. 16, after a mid-winter pause in flights, according to Gary Edwards, a liaison between the Charleston County Aviation Authority and tourism agency Explore Charleston.
Flights will operate each day except Tuesday and Wednesday until April, when service will run daily as the tourism season picks up.
A JetBlue representative did not immediately respond for comment Jan. 19.
Edwards said the New York-based carrier has a long-term commitment to making the cross-country route a permanent part of its presence in the Lowcountry. It's based in the airline's belief that Charleston's tourism industry marketers can draw more visitors from southern California, he added.
He also noted the Lowcountry's growing automotive and aerospace industries and the overall population growth from other states are among the other factors driving the need for direct connections to and from the West Coast.
JetBlue launched daily service between the Lowcountry and LAX in December 2020, but like other carriers, it adjusted the schedule afterward, including suspending flights. Last fall, the flight was offered four times a week.
Startup carrier Breeze Airways announced last summer it would compete with JetBlue by offering nonstop service to Los Angeles, beginning last November. The Utah-based carrier later added a layover where LA-bound passengers remain on the plane during the stop.
