Spirit Airlines Cuts 37 Routes

Floridians will be saddened by a major schedule update from ultra-low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines, as the airline this weekend has cut over 37 routes across its network, with a large proportion of them touching Florida. The Florida-based carrier, poised to join forces with JetBlue, has decided to cut multiple routes, with the worst affected airports being Fort Meyers, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, and Orlando.

Photo: Getty Images

Spirit Airlines has loaded scheduled flights up to May 2023, so it could be likely that some of these routes will make a comeback for the Northern Hemisphere summer. Let’s look at which routes and to where have come under the chopping block.

Spirit Airlines route cuts:

Baltimore, Maryland

• Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) to Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY)
• Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) to Myrtle Beach International Airport (MYR)

Fort Lauderdale, Florida

• Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) to Bradley International Airport (BDL)
• Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) to Arnold Palmer Regional Airport (LBE)
• Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) to Manchester-Boston Regional Airport (MHT)
• Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) to Tocumen International Airport Panama (PTY)
• Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) to Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport (SDF)
• Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) to St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL)

Houston, Texas

• George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) to Denver International Airport (DEN)
• George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) to La Aurora International Airport (GUA)

Los Angeles, California

• Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport (MKE)

Getty Images

Orlando, Florida

• Orlando International Airport (MCO) to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP)
• Orlando International Airport (MCO) to El Salvador International Airport (SAL)

Miami, Florida

• Miami International Airport (MIA) to Atlantic City International Airport (ACY)
• Miami International Airport (MIA) to Bradley International Airport (BDL)
• Miami International Airport (MIA) to Orlando International Airport (MCO)

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

• Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) to Rafael Hernández Marín International Airport (BQN)
• Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) to Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY)

Phoenix, Arizona

• Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) to Kansas City International Airport (MCI)
• Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) to Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport (MKE)
• Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) to St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL)

Fort Meyers, Florida

• Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) to Bradley International Airport (BDL)
• Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) to Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI)
• Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE)
• Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) to John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH)
• Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP)
• Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) to Philadelphia International Airport (PHL)
• Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) to St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL)

San Juan, Puerto Rico

• Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU) to Atlantic City International Airport (ACY)

Tampa, Florida

• Tampa International Airport (TPA) to Bradley International Airport (BDL)
• Tampa International Airport (TPA) to Boston Logan International Airport (BOS)
• Tampa International Airport (TPA) to John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH)
• Tampa International Airport (TPA) to Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)
• Tampa International Airport (TPA) to Arnold Palmer Regional Airport (LBE)
• Tampa International Airport (TPA) to Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport (MKE)
• Tampa International Airport (TPA) to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP)
• Tampa International Airport (TPA) to Philadelphia International Airport (PHL)

Photo: Getty Images

Why so many?

Readers may wonder why Spirit has been so brutal with such an extensive list of cancelations. Spirit’s model is low-cost, so the airline may only visit these destinations once daily. Full-service carriers may service a route multiple times daily, so reductions in service would not result in canceling the entire route.

The airline has only reduced its scheduled capacity by 5% for the first quarter of 2023. However, this is up 11% year-on-year and increased by 35% compared to 2019.

Spirits reasoning

The airline has commented, stating the reduction is due to several factors including supply chain restraints in the delivery of new aircraft, maintenance on existing aircraft, and Jacksonville’s air traffic control limitations, which oversees 40% of its operations to and from Florida.

It’s worth noting Spirit is adding routes as quickly as it cancels them. With San Antonio to Las Vegas and Orlando, Charlotte to Nashville, and Los Angeles to Memphis taking off soon (among others).

Sources: The Points Guy, Airline Weekly