ULCC Spirit adds Fort Lauderdale-Oakland route

US ultra LCC Spirit Airlines will launch daily flights between Fort Lauderdale, Florida and Oakland, California starting April 1.

Spirit VP-network planning John Kirby noted that Spirit will be the only airline operating the route, which in effect connects passengers to the “alternate” airport in two of the US’s big markets—South Florida and the San Francisco Bay area.

Port of Oakland aviation director Bryant Francis noted that passengers originating in Oakland would gain one-stop access to Spirit’s international destinations served from Fort Lauderdale, such as Kingston, Jamaica.

Florida-based Spirit started serving Oakland in 2011 with flights from Las Vegas and now has a sizable presence at the airport, often viewed as a less expensive option for passengers traveling to San Francisco, much as Fort Lauderdale serves as a less expensive option for Miami-bound passengers.

Aaron Karp

Aaron Karp is a Contributing Editor to the Aviation Week Network.