JetBlue Cali Flights From Fort Lauderdale Start 15 October

COLOMBIA · TRAVEL

JetBlue Cali flights from Fort Lauderdale are due to start on Thursday 15 October 2026, giving South Florida a daily nonstop to Colombia’s salsa capital. JetBlue set that date in its 9 July schedule release, subject to government approval.

In its 1 October release, JetBlue said Cali service was set to launch later in October, making it the airline’s fourth city in Colombia. Flight times for the route had not been announced in that release.

What JetBlue Has Announced for Cali

JetBlue Cali flights were first announced in May, with daily service between Fort Lauderdale and Cali from 15 October, the Cartagena newspaper El Universal reported. The Colombian outlet Minuto60 gave the same start date for daily service that month.

JetBlue’s schedule release of 9 July lists Cali as a new JetBlue city with one daily flight from 15 October. A footnote makes the Colombian routes subject to government approval.

JetBlue’s own update came on 1 October, when it opened its Barranquilla route. The airline said Barranquilla joins Medellín and Cartagena, with Cali set to launch later in October.

With Cali, JetBlue’s Colombian network would reach four cities, the airline says. The route is part of what JetBlue called its largest-ever Fort Lauderdale schedule, announced on 9 July.

Why Cali Matters for US Travelers

Cali is Colombia’s third-largest city and the capital of Valle del Cauca department in the country’s southwest. Salsa is its calling card, and the mayor’s office runs a World Salsa Festival with a dance contest.

The 69th Feria de Cali opens with its Salsódromo dance parade on 25 December 2026, says Corfecali, the city’s events corporation. Our guide to the Cali Salsa Fair covers the parades, concerts and dance shows.

This year the parade has an international wing of 160 dancers born outside Colombia, chosen through an open call that closes on 19 October. JetBlue Cali flights start in time for the December holiday season and the fair.

The Barranquilla Route Already Flying

JetBlue launched daily Fort Lauderdale to Barranquilla flights on 1 October 2026, flying to Ernesto Cortissoz International Airport on Colombia’s Caribbean coast. The airline uses Airbus A320 jets on the route.

Flight 1957 leaves Fort Lauderdale at 11:05 a.m. and lands in Barranquilla at 12:55 p.m., local times. The return, flight 1958, leaves at 2:05 p.m. and reaches Florida at 5:56 p.m.

Atlántico governor Eduardo Verano welcomed the route in JetBlue’s release. “JetBlue’s decision to serve our airport is a vote of confidence in Atlántico’s potential,” he said.

Other US carriers are adding Colombia flights for the winter too. Read about Frontier’s Orlando flights from 10 December and United’s Dulles to Cartagena nonstop.

How to Book JetBlue Cali Flights

JetBlue sells its flights at jetblue.com and in its app, and the Cali route should appear there under the airport codes FLL and CLO. If the search shows no flights on 15 October, the start may have moved.

On 13 October, JetBlue’s own fare page listed one-way Fort Lauderdale to Cali fares from US$139 for November departures. JetBlue says such fares were found in the previous 24 hours, reflect the lowest fare available and exclude bag fees.

Fares in the other direction, from Cali to Fort Lauderdale, started at US$246 one way on JetBlue’s Cali page. Compare them with connecting fares before you buy, especially around Christmas and the Cali fair.

On the Barranquilla route, JetBlue sells Main cabin seats and EvenMore seats with extra legroom and early boarding, its release says. Main includes free Wi-Fi, seatback live TV and free snacks and drinks.

Travelers who live elsewhere in the United States can connect in Fort Lauderdale from other JetBlue cities. Leave enough time between flights, because international departures need earlier check-in.

Tips for US Visitors to Cali

The State Department rates Colombia at Level 3, which means reconsider travel, citing crime, terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping and natural disasters. It puts Valle del Cauca at Level 4, do not travel, but excludes Cali from that warning.

US government employees may travel to Cali only with permission, the advisory says. That rule does not bind private travelers, but it shows how seriously Washington treats the region.

The advisory warns about dating apps in blunt terms. “Many U.S. citizens in Colombia have been drugged, robbed, and even killed by Colombian criminals posing as dates,” it says.

JetBlue Cali flights land at Alfonso Bonilla Aragón International Airport, which lies outside the city in neighbouring Palmira. Colombia’s civil aviation authority, Aerocivil, has run the airport since September 2025, when a private concession ended.

Colombia does not change its clocks, so Cali is one hour behind Fort Lauderdale until US clocks fall back on Sunday 1 November. After that date, both cities keep the same time.

Before you fly, check Colombia’s entry rules with Migración Colombia, the country’s immigration authority. Enroll in the State Department’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program so the embassy in Bogotá can reach you in an emergency.

What Is Not Confirmed Yet

JetBlue had not announced departure and arrival times for its Cali flights by 13 October. Its Barranquilla launch promotion, from US$134 one way, has already closed for bookings.

The airline has not said whether the government approval mentioned in its July release has been granted. Its 1 October release says only that JetBlue Cali flights are set to launch later in October.

The exact 15 October date comes from JetBlue’s July release and from May reports in El Universal and Minuto60. Check jetblue.com for the live schedule before you book onward plans.

If the start of JetBlue Cali flights slips, travelers can still reach Cali by connecting through Bogotá or another hub.

More: Colombia news in English, every day from The Rio Times.

Frequently Asked Questions

When do JetBlue Cali flights from Fort Lauderdale start?

JetBlue Cali flights are due to start on Thursday 15 October 2026 with one daily nonstop from Fort Lauderdale. JetBlue gave that date in its 9 July release, subject to government approval, and on 1 October said Cali launches later in October.

Does JetBlue fly to other cities in Colombia?

Yes. JetBlue has flown daily from Fort Lauderdale to Barranquilla since 1 October 2026 and also serves Medellín and Cartagena.

Is Cali safe for US visitors?

The State Department rates Colombia Level 3, reconsider travel, and Valle del Cauca Level 4, but Cali itself is excluded from the Level 4 warning. It also warns that criminals posing as dates have drugged, robbed and even killed US citizens.

Sources: JetBlue press release via Business Wire, ‘JetBlue Launches Largest-Ever Fort Lauderdale Schedule, Reinforcing Long-Term Commitment to South Florida’, 9 July 2026; JetBlue press release via Business Wire, ‘JetBlue Expands in Colombia as New Nonstop Service to Barranquilla Takes Flight’ (Fort Lauderdale, 1 October 2026), 1 October 2026; JetBlue, flights to Cali (fare page, Spanish), accessed 13 October 2026; JetBlue, flights from Cali (fare page, Spanish), accessed 13 October 2026; El Universal (Cartagena), ‘JetBlue confirmó que sumará nuevas rutas en Colombia’, 3 May 2026; Minuto60, JetBlue routes to Colombia, 12 May 2026; Corfecali, ‘Cali abre sus puertas a la salsa del mundo: 160 bailarines podrán hacer parte del Salsódromo 2026’, 2 October 2026; RTVC Noticias, ‘Aeropuerto Alfonso Bonilla Aragón: Gobierno asume la operación tras 25 años de concesión’, September 2025; US State Department, Colombia Travel Advisory (issued 31 March 2026), accessed 13 October 2026.

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