Spirit Adds International Flavor to New Orleans Route Map

Spirit Airlines has continued to push its presence in New Orleans and recently began to push outside the domestic market. The ultra-low-cost carrier will launch service to the Big Easy to Cancun, Mexico and San Pedro Sula, Honduras. The routes will be operated using the carrier’s 145-seat Airbus A319 aircraft on both routes.

The routes will start in the summer with Cancun beginning on June 10 and San Pedro Sula starting the following day. Cancun to New Orleans will operate four times weekly while the Honduran going aircraft will fly the route three times a week.

President and CEO of Spirit Airlines Ted Christie commented on the new routes saying, “We are incredibly proud to open up nonstop international service from New Orleans with two destinations at once. Our guests asked us for international connectivity, and we are excited to offer them the Best Value in the Sky as they explore new places. Adding these international routes is part of our promise to invest in the Guest.”

He continued to state: “Whether they fly to Cancun for leisure or to San Pedro Sula to reconnect with friends and family, we will continue to connect our Guests with the communities and destinations they seek the most.”

For New Orleans, the push into international markets continues. The city has service to Panama City from Copa Airlines which started in 2015 and service to Cancun is already operated seasonally by Delta Air Lines. The airport has also seen international expansions into Europe over the last few years, welcoming Condor and British Airways in recent years.

This is also a continued expansion for Spirit Airlines in the largest city in Louisiana, a trend that has seen numerous airlines add capacity to the city. Spirit now operates flights to 22 cities when the new routes join in June. The airline served around 1.7 million passengers in 2019 and has an expectation to beat that number in 2020.

Kevin Dolliole, Director of Aviation for Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, praised the new service saying, “New Orleans has one of the largest populations of Hondurans in the United States, and we are thrilled that Spirit Airlines is now offering direct service from MSY to San Pedro Sula, Honduras—providing a much-needed connection for our community. On top of that, additional service to Cancun, Mexico will give our passengers even more options. With Spirit being the fastest-growing airline, we are grateful for their commitment to this community and look forward to a long-standing relationship with this carrier.”

Also of note, the airline will add an additional frequency on its already established flight between New Orleans and Orlando. The second flight will be flown beginning on April 22 and will depart Louisiana at 6:00 a.m., while the already existing flight leaves at 2:42 p.m. CST.

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Ian McMurtry

Although Ian McMurtry was never originally an avgeek, he did enjoy watching US Airways aircraft across western Pennsylvania in the early 2000s. He lived along the Pennsylvania Railroad and took a liking to trains but a change of scenery in the mid-2000s saw him shift more of an interest into aviation. He would eventually express this passion by taking flying lessons in mid-Missouri and joining AirlineGeeks in 2013. Now living in Wichita, Kansas, Ian is in college majoring in aerospace engineering and minoring in business administration at Wichita State University.

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