{"id":265604,"date":"2026-05-10T11:21:09","date_gmt":"2026-05-10T11:21:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/265604\/"},"modified":"2026-05-10T11:21:09","modified_gmt":"2026-05-10T11:21:09","slug":"spirit-served-millions-of-passengers-at-fort-lauderdale-airport-who-will-do-it-now-sun-sentinel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/265604\/","title":{"rendered":"Spirit served millions of passengers at Fort Lauderdale airport. Who will do it now? \u2013 Sun Sentinel"},"content":{"rendered":"

Parking was a breeze, the hot coffee arrived within moments and the TSA lines at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport\u2019s Terminal 4 last week seemed to be among the shortest in months.<\/p>\n

But for visitors who thought it was all a sign of airport efficiency, the appearances were deceiving. Bankrupt Spirit Airlines, the pioneering \u201chometown\u201d discount carrier for Greater Fort Lauderdale and main occupant of Terminal 4, was long gone, shut down the previous weekend<\/a> amid a cash shortage and a lack of political and lender appetites for a U.S. government bailout.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t believe they shut Spirit Airlines,\u201d said an airport worker who videoed the vacated terminal.<\/p>\n

Outside, five of Spirit\u2019s signature yellow Airbus jetliners awaited possible trips to storage. Three others sat along the airport\u2019s northern perimeter. Midweek, a U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge allowed Spirit to sell its remaining planes, engines and equipment.<\/p>\n

Aside from 17,000 jobs lost systemwide, including more than 4,800 in South and Central Florida,<\/a> the economic wreckage has yet to be calculated. But any observer could see that airport concessions that thrived while Spirit was alive are suffering after its demise.<\/p>\n

Across from the TSA checkpoint, a coffee shop and a cafe with a bar had two customers each at a time when they were usually crowded. A currency exchange kiosk downstairs was closed after modifying its hours. A ride-share operation had been moved to another area of the airport, and a nearby parking garage offered generous numbers of available spaces.<\/p>\n

Local elected officials and economic development specialists seemed confident that Spirit competitors including Frontier, Allegiant and JetBlue, among others, quickly will fill the void.<\/p>\n

\"SpiritA lineup of Spirit Airlines planes are shown grounded at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport after the carrier shut down May 2. Any planes that bankrupt Spirit owns will now be sold. (Mike Stocker\/South Florida Sun Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\u201cEverything I\u2019m hearing is that the [airport] gates are desired and that these airlines want to increase service,\u201d Broward Mayor Mark Bogen told the Sun Sentinel.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are working right now to fill the void,\u201d he said. \u201cl believe that in a couple of months our data will show that vacuum will be filled.\u201d<\/p>\n

The airport, he said, has heard from discounters Allegiant, Breeze, Frontier and JetBlue, the latter of which sought to buy Spirit for $3.8 billion, only to have a judge block the bid<\/a> on antitrust grounds in 2024.<\/p>\n

The timetable for any snapback, though, might take more than a couple months, said Bijan Vasigh, professor of transportation at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe recovery would take time,\u201d he said. \u201cThat could be a year or so, or maybe less. Frontier may fill up the void, and JetBlue is growing that market. The contraction would not be permanent.\u201d<\/p>\n

Leader of the pack<\/p>\n

Even during the throes of its decline, Spirit served a quarter of the passengers using Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International. The airport not only lost its top airline in passengers carried, but more than 2,900 Spirit employees<\/a> who worked there.<\/p>\n

Through the end of the first quarter ended March 31, Spirit led more than 20 other airlines using the airport in passengers served.<\/p>\n

Spirit\u2019s first quarter year-to-date passenger count at the airport: More than 2.3 million. JetBlue was second at just more than 2 million.<\/p>\n

Replacement search<\/p>\n

There is ample precedent for assets of failed airlines to be picked up by rivals. In 1989, American Airlines purchased Latin American, Caribbean and trans-Atlantic routes belonging to a then-ailing Miami-based Eastern Airlines. The latter carrier, which was the region\u2019s largest private employer with 15,000 people, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy amid a massive strike. It stopped flying in 1991.<\/p>\n

American is now the predominant carrier at Miami International Airport. It also maintains a smaller presence at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood and Palm Beach International airports.<\/p>\n

Bob Swindell, president and CEO of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance, said the economic development agency has not conducted an economic impact assessment of Spirit\u2019s failure. But the agency has been \u201cdoing our own outreach to companies we think would be a good fit for the space.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt has been reported there are about 3,200 direct Spirit Broward employees,\u201d he said in an emailed statement. \u201cThat number represents about .03% of our total Broward workforce of a million people. That said, it\u2019s a significant loss for our community and for the people impacted.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"SpiritSpirit Airlines’ headquarters is shown in Dania Beach on May 1 , the day before 551 employees lost their jobs when the airline shut down. The campus is now viewed as a potential hot property for companies with relocation ambitions. (Mike Stocker\/South Florida Sun Sentinel file)<\/p>\n

When Spirit ceased operations in the early morning hours of May 2, several airlines quickly announced their intentions to add flights at the airport and even hire some of its unemployed workers.<\/p>\n

Here is a preliminary look at airlines likely to add flights to replace Spirit:<\/p>\n

JetBlue Airways: The New York-based carrier, which operates mainly out of Terminal 3, said it has added 11 destinations<\/a> and \u201cincreased frequencies on existing JetBlue routes.\u201d<\/p>\n

It said it intends to launch new nonstop service to \u201cdestinations across the U.S., Latin America and the Caribbean.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re stepping up for Fort Lauderdale to ensure the availability of air service in this market,\u201d said Marty St. George, the airline\u2019s president, in a statement.<\/p>\n

JetBlue expects to operate nearly 130 daily departures from Fort Lauderdale this summer, \u201cmarking the largest operation in the airline\u2019s history from the airport and more than 75% more daily flights than in 2025.\u201d<\/p>\n

Frontier Airlines: The Denver-based discount carrier, which had made several unsuccessful bids to acquire Spirit, was quick to announce its ambitions.<\/p>\n

\u201cHaving a robust Frontier presence at FLL is extremely important to ensure South Florida continues to have access to low fares,\u201d a spokesperson said by email. \u201cThe presence of low-fare carriers in a market forces competition among airlines and reduces the cost of flying for consumers overall. Fort Lauderdale is strongly on our radar.\u201d<\/p>\n

The airline now operates 15 nonstop routes from the airport and by July will have 16 average daily departures.<\/p>\n

\u201cOver the past few months, we have been adding routes from FLL with the intent of already being in position as a low-cost alternative in the event Spirit folded,\u201d the spokesperson said. \u201cThat effort was time well spent and consumers are already benefitting from it. We are continuing to identify routes that we believe lack sufficient low-cost service and anticipate adding more destinations from FLL as the year progresses, along with significant growth in frequency by this winter.\u201d<\/p>\n

Through March 31 of this year, the airline ranked ninth in passengers served with a 3.9% market share.<\/p>\n

Breeze: The discounter announced Sunday and Thursday nonstop flights to Pensacola and to Savannah, Ga.<\/p>\n

Avelo: The Salt Lake City-based carrier, which launched in 2021 with a network of secondary regional airports, has a thin presence at the airport but publicized a list of 29 routes that parallel Spirit\u2019s old system.<\/p>\n

Allegiant: The Las Vegas-based airline added several flights in February. It has expressed interest in expanding at the Fort Lauderdale airport, but details are unknown.<\/p>\n

American Airlines: The carrier said it serves 70 of the 72 airports that Spirit served, and 67 of the routes Spirit operated. After the shutdown, American said it added capacity to help Spirit\u2019s stranded passengers but did not speak of longer term plans at the airport.<\/p>\n

Delta Air Lines: From Terminal 2, the Atlanta-based airline is adding flights in leisure-focused markets as part of its \u201cnormal network planning process, including growth in South Florida.\u201d Once the Fort Lauderdale airport\u2019s busiest and ranked No. 3 with a 12% market share in the first quarter, Delta is adding daily flights to Detroit in November and December, and to Boston in the second half of December.<\/p>\n

Southwest Airlines: After strategically shifting many flights out of Fort Lauderdale to Orlando,\u00a0 the airline last week announced renewed commitments to Orlando International Airport and to Las Vegas. The airline, still the predominant carrier at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood\u2019s Terminal 1, says there are no plans to grow there.<\/p>\n

\"ASouthwest Airlines, the busiest carrier at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International’s Terminal 1, is more interested in growth at Orlando International Airport after moving a number of flights there last year. (Carline Jean\/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
\nLocal ripple effects<\/p>\n

An area outside the airport impacted the most appears to be Dania Beach, home to Spirit\u2019s 11-acre headquarters campus, complete with a flight simulator. When Spirit stopped flying, it laid off 551 people who worked there.<\/p>\n

But people in the real estate and development communities see the vacancy as more of a long-term opportunity than a loss.<\/p>\n

John Boyd, founder of the Boca Raton-based relocation consultancy The Boyd Company Inc., said the campus would be a draw for many companies from around the globe looking for a headquarters location.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat an attractive office complex to market as a potential corporate headquarters that would employ thousands and contribute in ways that Fortune 500 companies do,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s the type of building that would be a great addition to the office inventory to be promoted globally to a site-seeking company.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dania Beach Commissioner A.J. Bryan said he welcomed an exploratory initiative by County Commissioner Michael Udine to assess the feasibility of the county moving its government center<\/a> to the Spirit site.<\/p>\n

\u201cI do appreciate the county putting it forward as an item, and we would love the county government center in Dania Beach,\u201d he said<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom a local standpoint we\u2019ve gone through big economic growth and Spirit Airlines was also riding that as well,\u201d Bryan said. \u201cThey built that $250 million campus and $60 million flight simulator. They can\u2019t pick that building up and take it anywhere. The taxes on that building still need to be paid.\u201d<\/p>\n

Developer Daniel Kodsi, CEO of Miami-based Royal Palm Companies, said he doubted the airline\u2019s failure would lead to any severe real estate market disruption, though his firm\u2019s Elevated Apartments building in Dania Beach houses former Spirit Airlines workers. The building is 90% occupied.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat void is going to be filled,\u201d he said of Spirit\u2019s absence. \u201cFrom a housing standpoint we believe the employment is heading up regardless of Spirit.\u201d<\/p>\n

But tourism, a linchpin industry for Greater Fort Lauderdale, likely will get more expensive for leisure travelers who relied on the budget airline as their prime airline choice.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe reduction of lower-priced fares will definitely take its toll in some heavy leisure markets,\u201d said Peter Ricci, director of the hospitality and tourism management program at Florida Atlantic University.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are lucky to have mega events coming to South Florida from northern Palm Beach County through the northern edge of Keys,\u201d he said. \u201cThis high demand will come to an end at some point. [Hotel] properties will rely upon those on lower budgets to fill in the off-season. The future can be scary ahead if we think too short-term in our air travel coverage. There should be something for everyone. Spirit is a loss to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, plain and simple.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Parking was a breeze, the hot coffee arrived within moments and the TSA lines at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":265605,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[506,558,740,28,29,249,251,250,114,266,115,109,1798],"class_list":["post-265604","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-fort-lauderdale","tag-broward-county","tag-business","tag-economy","tag-florida","tag-florida-news","tag-fort-lauderdale","tag-fort-lauderdale-headlines","tag-fort-lauderdale-news","tag-latest-headlines","tag-local-news","tag-news","tag-social","tag-transportation"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/265604","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=265604"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/265604\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/265605"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=265604"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=265604"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=265604"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}