Starting in June, JetBlue will begin non-stop flights between Buffalo and Los Angeles. JetBlue will be the first airline to offer direct flights from Buffalo to any California destination.Sen. Charles Schumer, who played a key role getting the airline off the ground in 2000, made the announcement Monday morning at the Buffalo-Niagara International Airport.
"We are telling Canada residents when you want to fly to California, don't do it out of Toronto. Get in your car, take the short ride to Buffalo and fly here. That's going to be huge in bringing more Canadians here. When they come here regularly, they shop in our stores and eat food in our restaurants and it's great for our economy," said Schumer.
Schumer points out nearly half of all travelers who use the Buffalo Airport are Canadian residents. He says JetBlue's non-stop service will also attract more California-based tech companies, like SolarCity, to Buffalo.
JetBlue CEO Robin Hayes says the airline expects to draw a lot of travelers from Southern Ontario.
"The Canadian customers are tired of paying very high fares and having to wait a long time to process through [Toronto] Pearson [International Airport]. This is a great airport. It's on their doorstep. The wait times are much less and the fares are much lower," said Hayes.
"If you're traveling as a group or a large family, you can save a lot of money by flying out of Buffalo."
The new service starts June 16. It's being launched with a limited time promotional $99 one-way fare.