By Alexander Britell



Fast-expanding low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines is planning a major expansion in Puerto Rico, Caribbean Journal has learned.

Spirit’s expansion will be headlined by the launch of new daily nonstop flights from both Newark Liberty and Boston Logan airports to San Juan.

Both of those routes will launch operations on Dec. 19, 2019.

Old San Juan.

Spirit will also be launching an additional daily flight from Philadelphia to San Juan on March 1, 2020, according to the company.

The announcement comes as Spirit launched new nonstop flights from Baltimore, Philadelphia and Tampa to San Juan earlier this year.

“We are constantly looking for growth opportunities in our network and we are so proud of the growth we have had in Puerto Rico over the years,” said John Kirby, Spirit’s Vice President of Network Planning, in a statement. “We are very excited to continue providing our guests low fares and nonstop flights to new destinations.”

Rincon, Puerto Rico.

Spirit already operates daily flights from Baltimore, Orlando, Fort Lauderdale and Tampa to San Juan.

Spirit also operates daily flights from both Fort Lauderdale and Orlando to Aguadilla in the northwestern corner of Puerto Rico.

The new flights will add to a burgeoning flight network to San Juan, continuing what has been a rather dramatic airlift recovery in Puerto Rico in the last two years since Hurricane Maria.

Indeed, the most recent numbers from ASUR, which operates San Juan’s Luis Munoz Marin International Airport, showed an 8.4 percent increase in passenger traffic in the first three quarters of 2019, compared to the same period in the previous year.

Spirit is one of several low-cost carriers that have been significantly ramping up their Caribbean operations, along with airlines like Sun Country and Southwest Airlines.

Spirit has been serving Puerto Rico for nearly 20 years.

— CJ