Taking off
JetBlue’s sleek Airbus A320 prepares for takeoff, marking the airline’s new service from Vero Beach to major northeast destinations like New York and Boston. JET BLUE
Two new passenger carriers join Breeze at Vero airport — to Treasure Coast
BY KERRY FIRTH
Airport Director Todd Scher has been instrumental in bringing new commercial carriers to Vero Beach. VERO BEACH REGIONAL AIRPORT
Word’s out in the aviation world that Vero Beach is a viable destination for commuter airlines: Jet Blue and American Airlines will soon join Breeze in offering commercial flights from Vero Beach Regional Airport.
Piggybacking onto the success of Breeze — which has been flying from Vero to several Northeast locations since 2023 — the two newcomers will add new destinations. No longer will residents and visitors have to travel north to Melbourne and Orlando, or south to West Palm Beach to reach their favorite places.
“Everything happened so fast,” said Todd Scher, director of Vero Beach Regional Airport. “We didn’t go out and solicit new airlines. They approached us. And they were quick to commit, once we started a conversation. Jet Blue contacted us on a Monday and committed to service 48 hours later, on Wednesday. American Airlines approached us a few months ago and they’ve already committed to flights from Vero. It’s been a busy few months.”
Jet Blue will begin service to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York and Logan Airport in Boston beginning Dec 11. They’ll have one flight per day to each destination in either their Airbus A220 jet, which holds up to 120-260 passengers, or their Airbus A320, with a capacity of 160-165 passengers.
American Airlines will launch its one flight per day service to Charlotte Douglas International Airport beginning Feb. 12, 2026, in their Bombardier CRF900 regional jet, which holds 76-90 passengers. Charlotte is American’s second largest hub after Dallas-Fort Worth, with 670 daily flights to more that 170 destinations in 27 countries. Local residents will now have access to American Airline’s far-flung network, with just one stop.
Breeze will continue it’s service, utilizing their Airbus A220 and A320 jets, with direct flights to seven Northeast destinations: White Plains, Islip and Newburgh in New York, Hartford and New Haven in Connecticut, Providence, Rhode Island, and Washington, DC.
“We should have between six and seven departures from Vero daily with all three airlines combined,” Scher said. “But barring any unexpected delays in schedules or thunderstorms, there should be no more than one aircraft on the ground at a time. The current city resolution states that it’s the responsibility of the airline to not schedule a departure within one hour of another scheduled departures. It’s not a perfect world, however, and if an issue arises and its necessary to have two planes on the ground, it would only be for a very short period of time. We will have no problem handling the added flights. We could even handle more if these airlines or another would be willing to fly off-peak hours.”
TUNE UP
Operations Manager Brandon Dambeck oversees the airport’s expansion projects, including a major upgrade to parking facilities. VERO BEACH REGIONAL AIRPORT
While the airport runways can easily accommodate the increased commercial traffic, the terminal is undergoing some much needed improvements.
“We are going to make some modifications to our terminal,” Scher assured. “We’ll be installing covered walkways to get in and out of the terminal to the tarmac, in inclement weather. Plus we’ll have a covered baggage area and covered outdoor waiting areas so passengers in the hold room can spill over to outside waiting areas. We are also installing downstairs bathrooms for passenger use.”
One of the major advantages of flying directly from Vero is the free, long term parking — albeit, in grassy fields with sand spurs, right now. But plans are underway to pave a large part of the field for designated parking.
“We are currently in the design and bidding process of our parking project,” said Brandon Dambeck, Vero Beach Airport operations manager. “We just ran our design plans through the city and we are allotted nearly double the parking we originally thought. By the time we finish our parking lot we will have about 220 paved spots. Overflow parking will spread over into the large grassy area near Piper Aircraft.”
The parking improvements may come with a cost, however.
“Passengers may eventually see a charge for parking in the next year or so,” said Scher. “We need to finish up the parking project and then start looking for vendors to handle the parking. We don’t have the personnel to do it. Avis Rent A Car, which is located in the airport lobby, is already kicking around the idea of offering a shuttle service to transport passengers to and from their cars to the terminal.”
Ticketing will be handled directly with each individual airline — no tickets will be sold locally at the Vero Beach Regional Airport.
“These additional flights will provide travel options for a wider range of people by going to different destinations,” Scher concluded. “Improved connectivity ensures that our local businesses, residents, and tourism ecosystem remain resilient and prosperous. I’m sure there will be some growing pains, but it’s for the good of our community.”
