JetBlue ends nonstop New York-Antigua service after nearly 11 years

Antigua and Barbuda: JetBlue Airways ended its non-stop service between New York and Antigua and Barbuda on September 8, bringing an early end to a route that had connected the two markets for more than a decade.

The last southbound service, flight B6743, departed from John F. Kennedy International Airport at 10 am and arrived at V.C. Bird International Airport by 2:37 pm on Tuesday. Flight data showed the aircraft operated later than scheduled, with the aircraft arriving in Antigua in the afternoon. The same aircraft then operated flight B6740 back to JFK.

The September 8 flight was the last scheduled flight between JFK and Antigua as the route had been removed from the schedule by the airline. The aviation scheduling expert AeroRoutes confirmed that even the planned October 31 resumption of the flight had also been canceled.

The scheduling of the non-stop flights in the booking portal of JetBlue Airways now ends with the last date of September 8, with no October service listed.

Antigua and Barbuda’s government stated in July that JetBlue had ceased offering non-stop services for JFK-ANU beyond October 31. Tourism Minister Charles Fernandez said that this decision was disappointing but noted that the airlines were reconsidering their networks and aircraft operations in response to changing market conditions.

JetBlue described the cancellation as part of a wider network restructuring. The airline said that it was reallocating aircraft to support a major expansion at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.

It was expecting to operate around 150 daily flights from Fort Lauderdale in the winter, compared to over 125 daily departures from July.

The restructuring also affected several other routes. JetBlue also announced the end of its New York service to Daytona Beach, Vero Beach, Chicago O’Hare, and Nashville, while other routes were suspended or canceled.

JetBlue started its Antigua service on November 5, 2015. The airline launched the JFK to VC Bird route with three weekly flights. Antigua and Barbuda became its 92nd destination and 34th in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The route was an important part of Antigua and Barbuda’s connection with the New York market. The United States remained its largest source of stay-over visitors in the first quarter of 2026, contributing 46% of the total number of arrivals.

During this quarter, Antigua and Barbuda welcomed 110,832 stay-over visitors, representing an increase of 6.7% compared to the previous year.

Antigua and Barbuda’s tourism officials said that they will continue to work with airline partners to protect and expand airlift from North America. They also announced that it will maintain connectivity through airline hub networks while pursuing more opportunities with other carriers.