- December 5, 2025
JetBlue was met with a water cannon salute on its way into DAB. Photo by Sierra Williams
Passengers on the inaugural JetBlue flight from JFK to DAB: Catherine Kennedy, Mary Hammel, Catherine Varanock and Eileen Cunningham. Photo by Sierra Williams
Roslyn and Ernie Bennett, whose son works with JetBlue, are excited to see the airline return to DAB, as it means they may see their son more frequently. Photo by Sierra Williams
Volusia County officials, JetBlue and Daytona Beach International personnel cut a ribbon to celebrate the return of JetBlue to DAB. Photo by Sierra Williams
Volusia County officials, JetBlue and Daytona Beach International personnel celebrate the return of JetBlue to DAB. Photo by Sierra Williams
JetBlue has returned to the Daytona Beach International Airport after seven years. Photo by Sierra Williams
Jamwattie Sukhdeo was one of 127 passengers in the inaugural flight from JFK to Daytona Beach. Photo by Sierra Williams
Passengers deboard the inaugural JetBlue flight from JFK to DAB: Catherine Varanock, Eileen Cunningham Mary Hammel and Catherine Kennedy. Photo by Sierra Williams
The crew of the JFK-DAB inaugural flight. From left to right: Captain Richard Fetchik, an Embry-Riddle alum, Yaylene Villegas Grisales, Fran Feil, Tony Nataristefano and Rob Gorski. Photo by Sierra Williams
Volusia County Council Chair Jeff Brower with Cyrus Callum, DAB director of Aviation & Economic Resources. Photo by Sierra Williams
JetBlue attendants Ashley Cook, Cassandra Vella and Daoud Haydadi. Photo by Sierra Williams
From left to right: Cyrus Callum, DAB director of Aviation & Economic Resources, Aiport Manager Joanne Magley, DAB Airport Director Karen Feaster, Volusia County Council Chair Jeff Brower and Dan Blake, JetBlue vice president of Airport Experiences. Photo by Sierra Williams
JetBlue was met with a water cannon salute on its way into DAB. Photo by Sierra Williams
JetBlue has returned to the Daytona Beach International Airport, making it the fifth commercial airline to fly in and out of the airport.
The airline will run two daily, nonstop routes to and from the Daytona Beach airport to Boston (BOS) and New York City (JFK). Officials from Volusia County, JetBlue and the DAB airport celebrated the airline’s return on Dec. 4 with a ribbon cutting ceremony as the inaugural flight from JFK Airport in New York City landed in Daytona Beach at 9:20 a.m.
Volusia County Council Chair Jeff Bower said it was his pleasure to welcome JetBlue back to Daytona Beach.
“We are glad that you're here. We couldn't ask for two more exciting routes,” he said.
JetBlue’s inaugural flight was made on its Airbus A220 plane, which seats 140. The flight from JFK – with its 124 passengers – was met with a water cannon salute on the tarmac of DAB. The return flight to JFK had 97 passengers.
Alongside JetBlue, DAB has commercial flights from Delta, American Airlines, Avelo and Breeze. They offer 11 nonstop destinations and connections to cities around the nation and worldwide.
Brower said he remembers when, as a child, DAB was a “dingy little one-story airport” where passengers had to board planes from the tarmac, even in inclement weather. Now, he said, DAB is set to celebrate a “record-breaking year” of over 745,000 flights in 2025.
DAB Aviation & Economic Director Cyrus Callum said he’s never seen the terminal as busy as it has been lately. The return of JetBlue is a “significant win” for the airport and the local economy, he said. The new flights will lead to increased international destinations, an increase to the local tourism and also contribute to an increase in job opportunities.
“What I tell everyone is, get used to it,” he said. “Get ready for it, because we plan on carrying on that momentum.”
The Florida Department of Transportation last measured DAB’s annual economic impact at $3.2 billion in 2023. Callum said with the JetBlue flights, DAB’s “economic impact is going to be significantly more.”
“These flights are going to bring in 560 passengers per day,” he said, “and they're going to contribute to our local economy as well.”
JetBlue Capt. Richard Fetchik said driving a plane through a water cannon salute was a first for him. Fetchik graduated from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in 1990 and has flown for JetBlue for 21 years.
The last time time he has flown a plane at DAB, he said, was in March of 1995. Now, 30 years later, he and JetBlue have returned to the Daytona Beach airport.
He said he had no idea that it was the inaugural flight until he showed up at JFK that morning.
“It's nice to be Embry Riddle alumni and be part of the festivities today,” he said. “And I actually got to cut the ribbon in New York for the first flight coming down. So that was nice.”
He said he’s next scheduled to fly back to Daytona Beach for two flights in January.
Mary Hammel, her wife Eileen Cunningham and their friends Catherine Varanock and Catherine Kennedy were among the first off JetBlue’s inaugural flight to Daytona Beach. The four of them have been coming to Daytona Beach every year for the last 13 years to stay in Varanock’s Ormond Beach condo for Hammel’s birthday.
During JetBlue’s seven-year absence from Daytona, Hammel said the four of them would have to commute from the Orlando airport, taking an hour and a half or longer to get to the condo.
“This is excellent, we love JetBlue,” Hammel said. “Thank God it came back to Daytona. JetBlue, thank you for listening to people.”
Volusia County residents Roslyn and Ernie Bennett were at the Daytona Beach International Airport before 8:30 a.m., holding a sign that read “Welcome, JetBlue.” For them, JetBlue’s return to DAB represents an opportunity to see their son more.
Roslyn Bennett said their son works for JetBlue and when the airline was previously at DAB, they saw their son more frequently than they have in the last seven years.
The Bennett said they bought the JetBlue crew and staff Swillerbee’s donuts to celebrate and to let them know “we’re happy you’re here.”
“We're excited that Jet Blue has returned to Daytona Beach,” Roslyn Bennett said, “because now it makes it easier for us to travel to Boston or New York, but also to see our son and maybe have them come more often to see us.”
