Spirit Airlines will turn Orlando into a base for
international operations this fall.
Between Oct. 4 and Nov. 10, Spirit will launch service from
Orlando to nine Latin American cities. Currently, Spirit doesn't fly any
international routes from Orlando, although it does fly from there to San Juan.
"Orlando is now one of our largest markets, and we have
no plans on stopping our growth," Spirit CEO Bob Fornaro said in a statement.
"The region is not only a wonderful, family-friendly destination, but it
is well-positioned to now serve as a gateway to the Caribbean and Latin
America."
Spirit will launch Orlando flights to Guatemala City; Panama
City, Panama; and Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, on Oct. 4. Flights to San
Pedro Sulas, Honduras; San Jose, Costa Rica; and San Salvador, El Salvador,
will begin later that week. Flights to the Colombian cities of Bogota, Medellin
and Cartagena will begin the second week of November.
In addition, Spirit will launch service from Orlando to the
U.S.-territory destinations of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, and St. Thomas on Oct. 4
and Nov. 8, respectively.
Spirit will compete with several carriers on the new routes,
including JetBlue, Frontier, Avianca and Copa.