Low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines will suspend about 40 routes and drop service to two airports, according to published reports.
Spirit is trying to reduce costs following its second bankruptcy in a year, a company representative told employees Sept. 26.
Chief Commercial Officer Rana Ghosh said Spirit will end service from Hartford’s Bradley International Airport (BDL) on on Oct. 31 and to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) Dec. 1, AirlineGeeks.com reported.
The move comes a few weeks after the Dania Beach-based airline dropped service to 11 airports in Albuquerque, New Mexico; Birmingham, Alabama; Boise, Idaho; Chattanooga, Tennessee; Columbia, South Carolina; Oakland, California; Portland, Oregon; Sacramento, California; Salt Lake City; San Diego; and San Jose, California.
No Florida airports have been removed to date, but flights to and from Florida airports to these cities will end, according to Spirit.com’s ticketing website. The routes to be suspended have not been announced yet, but Ghosh said the November schedule would include suspensions of multiple seasonal and less-frequent routes, Airline Geeks said.
A planned route to Macon, Georgia, scheduled to begin in October, also has been suspended. Service to Key West, scheduled to begin Nov. 6, is still available.
Spirit Airlines assured its guests in an open letter Aug. 29 that flights would continue normally. However, the company said in court filings that it would reduce its presence in certain markets, shrink its network and cut costs.
The airline plans to cut its fleet and focus on core cities such as Fort Lauderdale, Orlando and Detroit as part of its restructure plans, Spirit Chairman Robert Milton told the Wall Street Journal.
What do I do if my flights are canceled?
Customers with existing flights scheduled to and from these airports should contact Spirit if the airline has not already reached out to them.
Under the U.S. Department of Transportation flight refund policy, travelers are entitled to a refund if an airline cancels a flight, no matter what the reason is, and the customer chooses not to travel.
Why did Spirit declare bankruptcy?
Since emerging from bankruptcy in March, Spirit reported a net loss of about $246 million through mid-June. The company said last week it borrowed the entire $275 million available under its revolving credit facility.
Industry analysts and executives say Spirit’s troubles stemmed from its failure to fix its bloated cost structure in the first bankruptcy. The airline is also locked in a dispute with aircraft lessor AerCap Holdings over 73 current and promised airplanes, according to court filings.
The news comes shortly after Spirit, still struggling from of the last bankruptcy and a failed merger with JetBlue, announced plans to furlough nearly 300 pilots later this year, effective Nov. 1. Last week, the airline announced it would be furloughing more than 1,000 flight attendants ahead of the holiday season.
Despite its issues, Spirit was named Best Airline for 2025 by WalletHub in April.
Recently the company has tried to market itself as the premium option among budget airlines with a new ticket lineup, an updated loyalty program, extra legroom seating for the “Go Comfy” ticketholders (now called “Premium Economy”), and two free checked bags for travelers using Spirit’s Mastercard.
Other low-cost airlines stepping up in Florida
Within days of Spirit’s bankruptcy announcement, Frontier Airlines announced 42 new routes, many of them at Spirit’s hub at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL).
JetBlue also moved in, with 9 new routes from Fort Lauderdale. Allegiant Air announced on Sept. 9 it was adding a Fort Lauderdale-Chattanooga, Tennessee route that Spirit was dropping.
Which Florida airports does Spirit fly out of?
As of Sept. 29, Spirit currently services the following Florida airports:
Key West (EYW) (scheduled to begin in November)
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Spirit flights being cut, Florida airline leaving 2 airports