Spirit Airlines aims for the Caribbean

Wednesday, December 31, 2003

FORT LAUDERDALE, USA: Florida-based Spirit Airlines has signaled it plans an expansion into the Caribbean and Central America that could give it almost as many foreign destinations as domestic ones during the next five years.

According to a recent report in the Sun-Sentinel, the low-fare carrier filed for permission earlier this month to fly to 11 foreign countries, including Aruba, the Bahamas, the Dominican Republic and Jamaica.

Those flights would originate from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, said Spirit Vice Chairman Mark S. Kahan.

"Everybody at Spirit believes there are opportunities in Latin America and the Caribbean," Kahan said.

The 23-year-old airline began flights to Puerto Rico two years ago and on Dec. 18 launched its first foreign route between Fort Lauderdale and Cancun, Mexico.

On the same day it asked the U.S. Department of Transportation for authority to fly to Aruba, the Bahamas, Canada, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Nicaragua and Panama.

Kahan said the filing doesn't necessarily mean Spirit will fly to all of those countries. But if even some materialize, it should flesh out a vision espoused by aviation department officials that Broward County can become a mini-hub for Central American flights. 

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