Spirit Airlines Ceases Service at Denver International Airport

In a significant move, Spirit Airlines, a prominent U.S. Ultra Low-Cost Carrier (ULCC), has officially concluded its operations at Denver International Airport (DEN). This decision marks Spirit’s exit from Frontier Airlines’ base market, reflecting a complex web of competition in the airline industry.

Frontier Airlines had made an ambitious attempt to acquire Spirit Airlines in 2022, envisioning the creation of a major ULCC that would have ranked as the fifth-largest airline in the United States. However, their plans were thwarted when JetBlue Airways swooped in with a higher bid. Currently, both JetBlue and Spirit await a ruling from a U.S. federal judge to determine the compliance of their proposed merger with U.S. antitrust laws.

Spirit Airlines’ final flights from DEN took place on January 9th. The airline attributed its exit to persistent challenges related to the Pratt & Whitney Geared Turbofan (GTF) engines that power its fleet. These engine issues, combined with underperforming routes at DEN, led Spirit to announce its departure from the Denver market in November 2023. Notably, Spirit is the largest operator of GTF-powered Airbus A320neo-family aircraft in the U.S., and it has grappled with aircraft groundings necessitated by mandatory inspections. John Kirby, Spirit’s Vice President for Network Planning, humorously referred to the parked A320neos as “gliders” during the 2023 TakeOff North America conference in Atlantic City.

Prior to suspending flights at DEN, Spirit had been gradually scaling down its operations in the area. As per data from OAG Schedules Analyzer, Spirit was offering 14 weekly flights to Las Vegas Reid International Airport (LAS) and daily flights to two Florida cities: Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) and Miami International Airport (MIA).

In the summer of 2023, Spirit served seven different markets from DEN, including Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW), Houston Intercontinental, Los Angeles, and Orlando, as indicated by OAG data. In the winter of 2022, the airline operated to seven markets from DEN, with Detroit in the mix instead of DFW.

While Spirit Airlines has ceased its operations on the three remaining routes out of DEN – FLL, LAS, and MIA – these routes will continue to be served by other carriers. OAG data reveals that Southwest Airlines and United Airlines are among the carriers providing service to FLL, LAS, and MIA from DEN. Additionally, American Airlines operates flights to MIA from DEN.

Frontier Airlines, despite Spirit’s exit, maintains a robust presence at DEN with 32 weekly flights to LAS and daily service to MIA, ensuring continued connectivity for travelers in the region.