Spirit Airlines cuts 32 routes in latest network restructuring

Spirit Airlines is making more major changes to its network.

The Dania Beach, Florida-based airline unveiled plans over the weekend to abandon 32 routes, as first seen on Cirium’s schedules and later confirmed by an airline spokesperson.

The full list of affected routes is available below, but highlights include seven flights cut from Boston, one of the most affected airports on this list.

From Boston, Spirit will stop flying to Charleston, South Carolina; Columbus, Ohio; Kansas City, Missouri; Chicago; Nashville; Pittsburgh; and Norfolk, Virginia. It’s interesting to see Spirit pull out of so many routes out of Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), which has been in the news recently for renewed competition among established airlines.

Delta Air Lines and JetBlue are fighting side by side for dominance in Boston, and the two airlines have been adding new routes and increasing their presence to win the local market. Perhaps there is already so much competition among incumbents that Spirit could no longer make these routes work.

The airline is also abandoning some high-profile routes with a lot of competition, such as Atlanta to Chicago and Charlotte to Chicago.

Spirit’s cuts have already been updated to the airline’s schedules and affected customers will be eligible for a full refund or rerouting to other Spirit flights.

Notably, some of the affected routes had already been reduced in recent months, but as part of this update, Spirit will stop flying them entirely. In total, Spirit is reducing capacity in November and December by about 15% and 17% week over week, respectively, according to Cirum’s schedules.

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“We routinely evaluate our network and make adjustments to support the company’s business strategy based on current market and operating conditions. As part of this process, we update our upcoming schedule to focus on our highest-performing routes,” a spokesperson for Spirit Airlines to TPG. .

In recent months, Spirit has been aggressive in making changes to its network in an effort to return to profitability. The airline has racked up more than $2 billion in net losses since 2020, so there’s no doubt Spirit is doing everything it can to return to profitability.

Earlier this year, the airline temporarily ruled out all international flights from Houston due to weak demand. Additionally, in May, Spirit added a rare new shuttle route from Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) to Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH). This 247-mile route is already serviced, but Spirit likely hopes it will help unlock new connecting itineraries for its customers.

adding new connection options has been high on Spirit’s priority list for this year. The airline has focused on reducing growth in Florida and adding new flights, such as the Dallas to Houston route, which should attract both origin and destination traffic, as well as connecting travelers.

The airline has also restructured its commercial strategy, abandoning many elements of the core business model in exchange for rates that include additional services such as bags, seats and even snacks and drinks.