Spirit Airlines may be gone, but other airlines are picking up the slack. Just days after JetBlue Airways announced 11 new and expanded Florida routes to help fill the gaps after Spirit’s abrupt closure on May 2, Southwest Airlines announced a major expansion to its service at Orlando International Airport, starting this year.
“Las Vegas and Orlando are foundational communities in our network, and places where Southwest long has offered the most service, seats, and nonstop travel options,” said Andrew Watterson, Southwest Airlines Chief Operating Officer, in a May 4 release. “We’re bringing more to our relationship in both places and adding to the hundreds of flights a day we already offer in both communities.”
Southwest plans to beef up its presence at Orlando International Airport (MCO) with new flights to Arkansas, California, Kansas, and Texas, as well as St. Maarten and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and increased service on 17 existing routes.
The Dallas-based carrier is also adding more nonstop routes between Las Vegas and Orlando in June, and a new nonstop route between Vegas and Miami International Airport in March 2027 as part of a larger Las Vegas initiative for 10 U.S. airports.
Orlando is a major hub for Southwest, which currently employs more than 4,700 people in Central Florida, the company said.
Here’s what’s coming next, including a few routes that have already started.
New Southwest Airlines routes coming to Florida
Where is Southwest Airlines increasing service in Florida?
Did Spirit Airlines go out of business?
All Spirit Airlines flights were canceled early May 2, stranding thousands of travelers and crewmembers around the country after the struggling Florida carrier was unable to negotiate a $500 million bailout from the U.S. government.
Spirit had struggled through two years of bankruptcies and failed mergers but was on its way to emerging from its latest bankruptcy with a streamlined network when the U.S.-Iran conflict caused jet fuel prices to skyrocket, adding to the ultra-low-cost airline’s difficulty maintaining solvency.
Other airlines have stepped up to offer rescue flights to stranded passengers, help to get Spirit pilots and flight attendants home, reduced fares for former Spirit routes, and loyalty program matching.
C. A. Bridges is a journalist for the USA TODAY Network-Florida’s service journalism Connect team. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday day by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Southwest adds, expands dozens of Florida routes as Spirit leaves
Reporting by C. A. Bridges, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Florida Today
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
