Citizen Portal
Sign In

JetBlue signs operating agreement with Okaloosa County; inaugural JFK–VPS flight set for March 5

Okaloosa County Board of County Commissioners · February 17, 2026

Loading...

AI-Generated Content: All content on this page was generated by AI to highlight key points from the meeting. For complete details and context, we recommend watching the full video. so we can fix them.

Summary

JetBlue has signed the county’s terminal operating agreement and lease; commissioners approved the agreement and incentive letter, and county airports staff announced an inaugural service from JFK to VPS on March 5.

Okaloosa County’s airports director told commissioners on Feb. 17 that JetBlue Airways has signed the county’s operating agreement and terminal building lease, making Okaloosa County one of JetBlue’s Florida markets. The board approved the operating agreement and an incentive letter by unanimous vote.

Trisha Stage, airports director, said JetBlue will operate from Destin‑Fort Walton Beach Airport (VPS) and has agreed to the county’s standard carrier lease; staff also said renegotiated carrier terms will provide a new 10‑year agreement structure. County airports staff told the board they expect continued double‑digit passenger growth for the system and highlighted that 2025 passenger volumes were around 2.5 million and that 2026 should continue that trend.

Commissioners welcomed the new service. Stage said the inaugural flight from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) is planned for March 5, and county staff will host a welcome celebration that day.

What’s next: JetBlue will finalize gate and schedule details before the March inaugural; airports staff will coordinate a public celebration and monitor passenger/deplaning service needs as volumes grow.