Spirit’s Fall Likely to Redraw Air Travel Map

The demise of low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines is expected to deal a significant blow to tourism-based economies in Central America and the Caribbean while leaving thousands of U.S. travelers without an affordable travel option.

The airline ran 348 weekly flights to Latin America and the Caribbean, offering 68,986 seats, according to Aviacionline. Spirit connected 20 destinations across the region and a big portion of its passengers were U.S. travelers looking for a tropical holiday.

With Spirit Airlines gone, thousands will scramble for alternatives.

The carrier was the first choice to travel to Puerto Rico, Mexico, and Colombia. The airline also flew frequently to the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Guatemala, and Jamaica. But in those markets, travelers still had a few other options.

“Many Latin America travelers are budget conscious as Spirit focused mainly on households that made under $80,000 a year,” said Jeff Pappas, a site-selection specialist and managing director for Newmark Group Inc.

“I feel two of the most affected people will be the Latin America population and the BPOs that are handling customer support for Spirit. I know many BPO’s that are doing CX work for the airline,” he added.

Airfares to the region are expected to rise.

“Spirit wasn’t just a cheap airline, it created a cheaper alternative the others had to compete with. Prices are going to go up now, guaranteed,” wrote a traveler on Reddit.

Florida hub

Most of Spirit Airlines’ flights to Latin America departed from Fort Lauderdale and Orlando, two key gateways for Latin Americans traveling to the United States.

“Fort Lauderdale is a much more cost-effective landing point for Latin American travelers than Miami,” Pappas said.

Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport alone accounted for 18,049 weekly seats to Latin America, just over 26% of the airline’s total capacity in the region. Orlando contributed 6,550 seats, while Dallas/Fort Worth added 3,081 seats.

Spirit operated steadily until the Covid-19 pandemic. By 2024, it had a debt pile of more than $2.5 billion and filed for bankruptcy protection. The carrier emerged from a financial restructuring the following year but the Iran War and the surge in jet fuel prices pushed it further into crisis. It sought a $500 million bailout from the U.S. government, and when that failed, it grounded all flights.

The airline’s so-called “Spirit effect” had kept fares low. When the company exited markets, ticket prices would often rise between 20% and 30%, or an average of $60 for a round trip.

Tourism boards across Latin America are reportedly rushing to limit the damage. They are reaching out to other U.S. airlines to replace lost routes.

Some destinations are offering incentives to airlines, including lower airport fees and joint marketing deals. Others are pushing new strategies —focusing on eco-tourism, cultural travel, and remote-work visitors— to reduce reliance on budget airlines.

Caribbean governments and hotel groups are also working on joint campaigns targeting tourists with deeper pockets and encouraging longer stays.

Who is stepping in?

Some airlines are moving quickly to fill the gap. “We’re stepping up for Fort Lauderdale to ensure the availability of air service in this market,” said Marty St. George, president of JetBlue, in a statement.

Frontier Airlines is also targeting Spirit’s former customers. It has rolled out discounted fares across its network, offering up to 50% off base fares on selected routes, including those overlapping with Spirit’s Caribbean services. The airline said it operates more than 100 of such routes and plans to add more flights this summer. It is also promoting an all-you-can-fly summer pass priced at $199.

Other carriers are taking similar steps. They are adding more flights or testing new routes where capacity vanished overnight. Rebuilding traffic will take time, starting with extra flights on busy routes, followed by wider network changes as demand patterns become clearer.