Spirit Airlines adds 2 new cities as part of 40-route expansion
Spirit Airlines is splashing out with a 40-route expansion later this spring fresh out of its four-month bankruptcy restructuring.
The Florida-based budget airline will add Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport (CHA) in Tennessee and Columbia Metropolitan Airport (CAE) in South Carolina to its map in June. Spirit will initially connect both cities with nonstop flights to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL), Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) and Orlando International Airport (MCO).
Airfares for the new flights to Chattanooga and Columbia start at $50 one-way.
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But that's far from all for Spirit. The airline will also add 34 new routes in May between cities it already serves, including eight from Nashville International Airport (BNA) and seven from Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI).
"We are adding ... 40 routes to our network starting this May," a Spirit spokesperson said. "The new flights give our guests more high-value options to discover new destinations and experience Spirit's new travel options and enhanced guest experience."
The growth comes during a tumultuous time for Spirit. The airline exited its Chapter 11 bankruptcy restructuring on March 12 after slashing debt. The airline restructured in just four months after filing for bankruptcy in November. It rejected a merger proposal from Frontier Airlines in favor of a plan with its creditors.
Spirit, however, continues to lose money. Losses more than doubled last year to $1.2 billion as revenue fell 8% to $4.9 billion. And Spirit was nearly 5% smaller by available seat miles than in 2023.
The airline did not provide financial guidance for 2025.
Schedules show Spirit flying 17% fewer seats in the first quarter than in 2024, data from aviation analytics firm Cirium shows. The airline is expected to shrink by roughly 16% in the second quarter, which includes axing 12 domestic routes at the end of March. Schedules do not reflect the 40 new routes yet.
Part of the airline's problems are the ongoing inspections of certain Pratt & Whitney engines on its Airbus A320neo planes. Spirit must park aircraft during the inspections, which can take up to a year.
Below are the 40 new routes Spirit is adding this spring. All routes begin in May unless noted.
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- Atlanta to Louisville (Spirit last flew the route in 2023).
- Baltimore to Charleston, South Carolina; Charlotte; Chicago's O'Hare International Airport (ORD); Detroit; Milwaukee; Raleigh, North Carolina; and San Antonio (Spirit last flew BWI-Detroit and BWI-San Antonio in 2023).
- Charlotte to Detroit, Indianapolis and Philadelphia.
- Chattanooga to Newark and Orlando from June 4 and Fort Lauderdale from June 5.
- Columbia to Newark and Orlando from June 5 and Fort Lauderdale from June 6.
- Dallas-Fort Worth to Indianapolis, Louisville and Raleigh.
- Detroit to Memphis, Raleigh and San Antonio.
- Fort Lauderdale to Latrobe, Pennsylvania.
- Los Angeles to Indianapolis and Milwaukee.
- Nashville to Baltimore; Charlotte; ORD; Cleveland; Milwaukee; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; San Antonio and Tampa (Spirit last flew Nashville-Charlotte in 2023 and Nashville-Tampa in 2024).
- Newark to Louisville and Raleigh.
- New York's LaGuardia Airport (LGA) to Norfolk and Richmond in Virginia.
- New Orleans to Raleigh and Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
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