904 356-JOBS (5627)

904 356-JOBS (5627)

(Courtesy of the Jacksonville Business Journal) – The Jacksonville Aviation Authority has secured a flight it’s been working for for more than a decade: a direct connection to Los Angeles.

JetBlue Airways announced Thursday it will offer nonstop flights from Jacksonville International Airport to Las Angeles International Airport beginning in March.

The 162-seat flight, on an Airbus A320, will leave daily at 5 p.m. and arrive in LA at 7:49 p.m. Pacific time. The return flight will leave at 8 a.m. and arrive in Jacksonville at 3:33 p.m.

The new route is part of an overall expansion by JetBlue, which is also adding new international routes. The airline is also beefing up what is becoming a mini-hub in Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina, with flights to there from Jacksonville four times a week.

Those flights, which start Feb. 11, will leave at 12:50 p.m. and arrive at 2:15 p.m., with return flights leaving at 10:30 a.m. and arriving at 12:02 p.m.

“We worked 12 years to restore the JAX-LAX route since losing it as a result of the 2008 financial crisis,” Jacksonville Aviation Authority CEO Mark VanLoh said in a statement. “Not only is Los Angeles one of our largest unserved destinations, we are one of theirs as well. This is a huge win.”

Previously, the Aviation Authority told the Business Journal that Jacksonville has 269 people, on average, who go to and from the L.A. area every day from Jacksonville International Airport or elsewhere.

Those passengers will have to chose to fly out of Jacksonville if the route is to stay.

“Getting the service was our first challenge,” VanLoh said. “Keeping it here and growing the route is the second.” VanLoh said.

Jet Blue Photo Courtesy of Flickr