Spirit Airlines to End Dozens of Routes This Fall — Here's What’s Being Cut

01.10.2024 - 22:01 / travelandleisure.com

Spirit Airlines is taking an ax to its route map this fall and cutting 32 routes from cities across the country.

Boston and Dallas-Fort Worth — where Spirit faces steep competition from the likes of American, Delta, and JetBlue — are facing the deepest cuts, according to airline data service Cirium Diio and confirmation to Travel + Leisure from the airline.

Gone from Boston are nonstops to Charleston, Chicago, Columbus, Kansas City, Norfolk, and Pittsburgh while Dallas is losing flights to Columbus, Kansas City, Memphis, Milwaukee, and Philadelphia.

“We routinely evaluate our network and make adjustments to support the company's business strategy based on current market and operating conditions,” a Spirit spokesperson told T+L of the changes. “As part of this process, we updated our upcoming schedule to focus on our strongest performing routes.”

Travelers booked on any of the canceled routes will be “notified of their options,” the spokesperson added.

Spirit has struggled since its planned merger with JetBlue was blocked by a federal judge in January and the airlines agreed to part ways in March. The airline faces a large debt bill that is due next year.

The carrier's cuts are in an effort to return to the black, as Spirit also dropped popular destinations like Denver, Lima, Peru, and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, from its map entirely this year.

Florida and Las Vegas are two markets that Spirit, and other airlines, have singled out for recent losses. Spirit’s previous cuts include Orlando to Hartford and Santo Domingo; Fort Lauderdale to Salt Lake City; and Miami to Nashville. And from Las Vegas, the carrier will end flights to Charleston, Louisville, Minneapolis-St. Paul, and St. Louis. 

Spirit has either ended flights already, or will end them by January at the latest, on the 32 discontinued routes.