Spirit Airlines History
Celebrating its 19th year, Fort Lauderdale-based Spirit is the leading low cost carrier
to the Caribbean serving 40 markets in the United States, Bahamas, Caribbean, Central and South America with 150 daily flights.
Here's how it all started...
Charter One to Spirit Airlines
Spirit Airlines started out in 1980 as Charter One, a Detroit-based charter tour operator
providing travel packages to entertainment destinations such as Atlantic City, Las Vegas and
the Bahamas. Ten years later, Charter One began scheduled service from Boston and Providence,
R.I. to Atlantic City. On May 29, 1992 Charter One brought jet equipment into the fleet,
changed its name to Spirit Airlines and inaugurated service from Detroit to Atlantic City
Expansion, Expansion, Expansion
In April 1993 Spirit Airlines began scheduled service to destinations in Florida. During the
next five years Spirit expanded rapidly, increasing service from Detroit and adding service
in new markets such as Myrtle Beach, S.C.; Los Angeles and New York. Spirit relocated its
headquarters in December 1999, moving from Eastpointe, Mich. to a new 56,000 square foot,
state-of-the-art facility in Miramar, Fla. Expansion continued with the addition of the
Chicago market as well as coast-to-coast service to Los Angeles.
Beyond Coast-to-Coast
In November 2001 Spirit inaugurated service to San Juan, Puerto Rico and implemented a
fully-integrated Spanish language customer service plan including a website and dedicated
reservation line. May and June 2002 brought new service to Las Vegas, Nevada as well as
expanded service in nearly every market. Fall of 2003, brought Spirit to Washington,
D.C.'s Reagan National Airport and Cancun, Mexico. In Fall 2004, Spirit introduced
service to New England at TF Green Airport in Providence, Rhode Island as well as Santo
Domingo in the Dominican Republic.
Domestic and International, Spirit Connects
Spirit’s goal of becoming the leading low cost carrier to the Caribbean became a reality in 2005 – 2006, with new flights to the Bahamas, Jamaica, U.S. Virgin Islands and Cayman Islands. Additional service to the Caribbean began in 2007 to Haiti, Aruba, St. Maarten/St. Martin, and increased service to Puerto Rico via Aguadilla and Ponce. Low cost service to Latin America began in 2007, with new service to Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua in Central America, and new service to Peru in South America. In 2008, Spirit continued to add more flights, including new service to Boston, as well as more flights to the Caribbean and Latin America with new service to Panama City, Panama; and Cartagena and Bogota, Colombia. In 2009, Spirit began new service to Santiago, Dominican Republic and Medellin, Colombia, with service to Armenia, Colombia starting at the end of the year.
All New Airbus Fleet
Spirit began its transition to an Airbus fleet in Fall 2004 and completed the
transition in September 2006 becoming an all-Airbus airline. Spirit Airlines now has
the youngest fleet of Airbus aircraft in the Americas. Spirit's fleet consists of Airbus
A319s, seating 145 passengers, and A321s which seat 218 passengers. Spirit's fleet consists of Airbus A319s, seating 145 passengers and A321s, which seats 218 passengers. In 2010, Spirit will begin taking delivery of brand new Airbus A320s that it has on order. The new A320s will feature 178 seats and be used for further expansion throughout the United States, Caribbean and Latin America. Spirit's new fleet
was designed with customers in mind with all leather seats, moveable headrests, and
extra large overhead bins.
The Corporate Philosophy
From its beginnings as Charter One to its current role as the leading low cost
carrier to the Caribbean, Spirit Airlines strives to provide low-fares with friendly
and reliable service to its customers. In 2007, Spirit unveiled its new ultra low cost carrier brand that celebrates the colors of the Caribbean and Latin America regions. The company’s energetic new colors reinforce Spirit’s four brand principles:
- Caliente Red – Low Fares
- Environmental Green – On-time and Reliable
- Sunshine Yellow – Clean New Planes
- Ocean Blue – Friendly Staff
Updated July 2009