A years-long attempt to secure JetBlue Airlines in the capital city has finally paid off.

The New York-based carrier will provide direct daily flights from Tallahassee International Airport to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Broward County starting January 2024. Passengers can begin booking flights in the coming months.

The new nonstop service from Tallahassee is part of the airline’s larger vision for its planned acquisition of Spirit Airlines, which will allow JetBlue’s expanded network to provide up to 250 flights per day. Terms tied to the $3.8 billion merger are still ongoing and will need to be approved the the U.S. Department of Justice.

“We think the acquisition of Spirit is terrific for consumers across United States as we add more competition,” said Dave Clark, head of revenue and planning at JetBlue. “That's especially true in Florida and especially in South Florida, where there are markets dominated by very big airlines that are in desperate need of additional competition. So, we think this is terrific news.”

In an exclusive interview with the Tallahassee Democrat, Clark said the success of this initial flight out of Tallahassee’s airport may pave the way for more routes to more cities.

There are no immediate plans to add more flights to serve Tallahassee. However, Clark said it’s more efficient for the airline to add flights to an existing airport than to incur capital costs with building a new one.

“Of course, we would love to see success in Tallahassee to Fort Lauderdale, and then to expand that with links to our other focus cities,” he said

Clark noted that there are few cheap and easy ways to get between South Florida and Tallahassee today.

"Convenient travel to Tallahassee is essential, given its critical role as the Florida state capital and as home to major universities, however its distance from South Florida puts it just too far to easily drive," according to a company press release.

In terms of cost, flights from Jacksonville to Fort Lauderdale ranged from $84 to $94 if departing, for example, on March 1, according to the airline’s website. Clark said he was prohibited from sharing the estimated cost range for flights coming out of Tallahassee at this time.

“I can't speak publicly about pricing before it's live and for sale,” Clark said, citing federal regulations. “Our goal is always to provide low fare and a great experience. Our service from Fort Lauderdale to Tallahassee will be no different.”

Tallahassee Mayor John Dailey said JetBlue’s announcement was an exciting time for the capital city.

"I want to give thanks to our incredible team in senior management at the airport for really working hard with with JetBlue to bring them to Tallahassee," Dailey said. "We welcome the airline with open arms. They will be a wonderful addition at Tallahassee International Airport as we continue to move forward."

The Tallahassee to Fort Lauderdale flight will use the airline’s Airbus A320 jet, which has a capacity of up to 170 seats. The direct flight to South Florida provides international access to more than 100 destinations, including Latin America, South America, the Caribbean, Canada and the United Kingdom.

Tallahassee Airport Director David Pollard said the important point to remember is JetBlue is a low-cost carrier.

“When JetBlue enters a market, traditionally you’re going to see airfares to those destinations come down," he said. "JetBlue will certainly set their own rate structure, and we’ll be working with them as they start up their operations.”

Why JetBlue picked Fort Lauderdale and a Tallahassee connection

Tallahassee tried to secure JetBlue as an airline carrier six years ago with a community-led campaign called “GetBlue.”

It included glossy marketing materials, a $1-million funding allocation from the Legislature and promises to use services through written commitments from local universities and businesses.

It wasn’t enough then, as JetBlue’s focused on other growth markets. Now, South Florida has ascended on the airline’s priority destinations for service.

Fort Lauderdale is a designated "focus city" for the airline, meaning it provides direct flights compared to the hub-and-spoke model used by other airlines. Orlando is JetBlue's only other focus city in the state.

“We have focused cities that say we're going to build out networks to take you to all of your top destinations from where you live,” said Rob Land, JetBlue’s associate general counsel. “New York, Boston, Lauderdale and Orlando on the East Coast, we try to serve all of our markets as much as we can from those markets. So, if you're in South Florida, you don't need to connect. If you're in Central Florida, you don't need to connect over to a hub.”

A Master Plan at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport calls for the expansion of its facilities and services, including more routes to markets that aren’t being served.

The airline’s partnership in Fort Lauderdale means it will offer flights to roughly 30 markets not served by either JetBlue or Spirit today from Fort Lauderdale, and in addition add more flight frequencies to approximately 30 more markets.

Tallahassee will become JetBlue’s 10^th Florida city. Other markets served by JetBlue include Key West, Palm Beach, Sarasota, Tampa and Jacksonville, which has provided direct flights to Fort Lauderdale to Jacksonville since 2014.

Growing economic impact at TLH

JetBlue is the latest top tier company to announce plans to expand operations in Tallahassee.

Two years ago, Amazon announced plans to build a robotics fulfilment center on Mahan Drive near Interstate 10 as part of a big-picture plan to increase its ability to deliver more products and at a faster pace throughout its vast network.

Tallahassee City Manager Reese Goad said the JetBlue deal is consistent with the city’s trajectory the last several years. He also said he wouldn’t be surprised if Amazon's decision to come to Tallahassee may have been a factor for the airline.

“What we know is South Florida is a primary destination for people traveling from our airport. We know that Amazon is only going to enhance that,” Goad said “There's a strong commerce connection between Tallahassee and South Florida.

"And, so, does it surprise me that Amazon is coming and now JetBlue, which is a really big name in the airline industry? No. That's how success begets success.”

Last year, three major announcements pushed the airport’s economic impact to another level.

Plans are underway to build a $28-million International Processing Facility at the airport – arguably one of the most vital capital investments in the airport’s history.

Up in the air?Records reveal city's attempts to land Amazon Air at Tallahassee airport

International connection:Airport's International Processing Facility to bring unseen global access to capital city

The move could eventually unlock international access for travelers to book non-stop flights overseas, including charter, business or general aviation flights. Some could include flights to the Caribbean, Central and South America and Canada. The facility will also give more local businesses a global reach to expand their operations and transport products.

Goad said JetBlue’s announcement may expedite the city’s hopes for international access to other markets.

“Maybe we even leveraged this international piece for passenger travel sooner than we would have thought,” he said. “I think that today is more of a possibility than we could have ever thought.”

Also last year, North American Aerospace Industries announced plans to bring its aircraft teardown and recycling operation to Tallahassee’s airport and generate 985 permanent jobs.

The Airport economy:City finalizes terms with Burrell Aviation at Tallahassee International Airport project

Project Alpha revealed:North American Aerospace Industries eyeing Tallahassee airport

Burrell Aviation LCC entered into an agreement with the airport to lease 19 acres and plans to generate 290 permanent jobs.

Pollard said South Florida is the airport’s top market, specifically Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach. He said travelers wanted nonstop travel to South Florida. JetBlue, he said, gives travelers the access they've been asking for and helps the airport reach its economic potential for the region.

“We’re very, very excited to welcome JetBlue to our airport and to our community,” Pollard said. “We’re very pleased that we’ve been able to listen to the needs of our community.”

Contact Reporter TaMaryn Waters at tlwaters@tallahassee.com and follow @TaMarynWaters on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: JetBlue coming to Tallahassee airport with service to Fort Lauderdale