Ultra-low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines recently launched flights to Birmingham, Alabama, offering passengers a new option to travel there from Fort Lauderdale. This not only gives travelers a low-cost option to fly on this route, but for many, it will serve as a convenient gateway to other services to the Caribbean and Latin America.
New flight
On October 10, Spirit Airlines
launched flights to Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport in Alabama from Fort Lauderdale. The service was announced earlier this year, and the airline will deploy its aircraft on this route daily.
Darlene Wilson, Vice-Chair of the Birmingham Airport Authority Board, is particularly excited about this new service and said that it would be great for the community. She added that Spirit Airlines is showing great confidence in this market and that they are thrilled to have this new option available to travelers.
Back when this route was announced in June, the carrier offered a promotional $69 one-way fare for travel from October 10 through November 19. The flight in each direction takes about an hour and a half to complete.
First time in Alabama
The service is slightly special given that this is the first time Spirit Airlines has launched commercial service in the state of Alabama. This is the only non-stop flight between Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport and Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport.
Apart from giving travelers the option for a low-cost service on this route, it will also serve as a good connecting point for those who wish to travel further in the Caribbean or Latin America. In June, John Kirby, Vice President of Network Planning at Spirit Airlines, commented,
“We can’t wait to welcome aboard Birmingham travelers looking for both an affordable and convenient way to enjoy Fort Lauderdale’s beautiful beaches. Our new daily service will make flying to Fort Lauderdale more accessible and will provide an attractive alternative to driving. It will also make it easier for our Florida Guests to enjoy Birmingham’s southern hospitality.”
This isn’t the only flight that Spirit has introduced in October. Earlier this month, the carrier added new daily flights from Dallas/Fort Worth and Los Angeles to Albuquerque, New Mexico, for the city’s annual International Balloon Fiesta. The services began on October 2 and will be once daily through October 15.

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Spirit Airlines Adds Flights From Dallas & Los Angeles To Albuquerque For Balloon Fiesta
The festival will occur for nine days at the beginning of October.
Recent challenges
Spirit’s new routes and services come amid other recent developments in which the airline has had to suspend some routes and take decisions to furlough pilots, with reports even suggesting that the
airline might consider filing for bankruptcy in the future.
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Spirit axed around 30 routes as it embarked on a journey to assess profitability and remove fights that were not generating enough revenue for its business. Many of these services are being removed this month, while some will be suspended in November and December.
Photo: Robin Guess | Shutterstock
Recent reports also suggested that the airline could look into filing for bankruptcy and was said to be having talks with bondholders to discuss the terms of such a filing. Spirit’s shares saw a significant drop of 30% immediately following the news.