JetBlue's flight between New York and Martha's Vineyard will start on June 26.
Tim Johnson

JetBlue Pushes Back Vineyard Schedule

The largest seasonal airline at Martha’s Vineyard Airport will not start its summer schedule until June, with flights to Washington, D.C. beginning on June 12 and flights to New York starting on June 26.

The largest seasonal airline at Martha’s Vineyard Airport is pushing back the start of its flights by several weeks this year. 

JetBlue will not start its summer schedule until June, with flights to Washington, D.C. beginning on June 12 and flights to New York starting on June 26. The New York schedule is about a month later than usual.

“It is a later start,” said Geoff Freeman, the airport manager. “Usually they start around Memorial Day or a little before.” 

JetBlue carries the most summer passengers of the three large seasonal airlines. In 2024, running from May through October, JetBlue transported just over 32,000 passengers on flights to and from the Vineyard. 

For comparison, that’s more than the other two airlines combined; Delta carried 17,379 passengers and American carried 14,364. 

This year JetBlue is also planning to cut back on the number of flights, though that likely won’t result in fewer passengers because the airline is bringing on a new, large airplane. 

In past years, JetBlue has flown a 100-passenger plane. That one is being phased out in favor of a 140-passenger aircraft. 

“That’s why you are starting to see some flight reduction,” Mr. Freeman said. 

JetBlue will fly to the Vineyard from D.C., JFK International Airport in New York and Boston. The schedule is anticipated to run through the end of October. 

Delta is starting up its flights to LaGuardia and JFK on May 22 and will end on Sept. 7. American Airlines usually starts towards the end of June and runs through Labor Day, but that schedule still needs to be finalized, according to Mr. Freeman. 

Mr. Freeman said the airport is not involved with the airlines’ scheduling decisions. Flight schedules often shift from year to year, depending on demand, workforce size and other factors. 

Comments

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 03/20/2025 - 08:06

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Chris OB

Now Jet Blue will have bigger, noisier and more polluting planes flying over my house every 15 minutes in the summer.

Tom B West Tisbury

The issue is that most people who bought houses near the airport did so when the airport was much smaller. Now that jet planes fly in every 15 mins it’s prohibitively noisy. The airport was never meant to handle this much air traffic.

Enough Already Oak Bluffs

Hmm....bigger planes mean less flights. Starting about a month later than in other years. Tell us how this equates to more disruption the your house that you bought in the flight path to the airport?

Tom B West Tisbury

So people who bought houses when only prop planes flew into the airport are just supposed to suck it up and not use their property? Imagine if the 2 lane road that ran by your house was suddenly turned into an expressway and you had no say about it. Thats what people who live by the airport are currently experiencing.

reality check mvy

The newer larger planes are quieter and more fuel efficient. Do you know the difference between the current older Embraer being used and the newer Airbus?
In the interest of accuracy, I don't see ANY airline flying every 15 minutes. Check the schedules.

message for tom b mvy

are you new here? Back in the late 1960s and early 1970 Northeast airlines flew their LOUD DC9 Jet Yellowbirds here. In the 1980s NY Air flew their loud red DC9 jets here. These new quiet efficient 'stage 4' and newer airliners are fuel efficient and quiet. In fact the noise of many propeller planes exceeds that of these quiet jets. I live in Edgartown and can hear the high rpm propellers from the ancient Cessna 402C propeller planes operated by cape air.

Tom B West Tisbury

The Cessnas sound like lawn mowers compared to these so called “quiet” and “efficient” jets. The flights of the private jets and airlines combined are so numerous the neighbors of the airport cannot even use their yards. Not to mention private planes taking off at all hours of the night.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 03/20/2025 - 09:00

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Alison Palmer Edgartown

We are seeing a very very slow season in terms of bookings for summer rentals. Between the current economy and the Vineyard's growing reputation as a prohibitively expensive destination, I wouldn't be surprised if we see a bit of a downturn in our normal summer numbers.

Spot on Edg

100% agree. Rental inventory is high and the families that rent for $5,000-$7,500 / week can get far better value elsewhere. Not to mention (avoiding chaos/cost of SSA, short-term rental tax, mediocre restaurants with astronomical price, and avoid the lunacy of island traffic jams)

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 03/20/2025 - 11:51

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TC Edgartown

I am a caretaker/house cleaner. 2023 was very slow. 2025 looks very good. I am at 80%!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 03/21/2025 - 00:55

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AM 02539

I suspect that most in the rental business don’t want to go on record saying anything negative, but it would be interesting to hear more perspectives on how the summer is looking. It would seem fewer flights (or a later start to them) would have to mean fewer renters.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 03/21/2025 - 09:25

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Ken Rusczyk OB

....PED...Prohibitively Expensive Destination....I'll bet the farm the Chamber of Commerce never has used those 3 words!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 10/07/2025 - 09:38

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Susan Van Roijen Edgartown

If you’re expanding the airport Please Please improve the traffic flow in and out of the airport . I know we don’t want traffic lights on the island but maybe they could add a roundabout like at Barnes Road and Vineyard Haven Road ??

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