Spirit Airlines eliminates 6 additional routes in recent network overhaul

Spirit Airlines is actively cutting unprofitable routes as the airline works to stop its financial losses.

This time, the Florida-based airline has removed six more routes, first identified by TPG in flight schedules posted on the aviation analytics site Cirium. A spokesperson for the airline later confirmed this information.

The six routes that will be discontinued are:

• Fort Lauderdale to Los Angeles
• Miami to Atlanta
• Newark to Oakland, California
• Newark to Phoenix
• San Juan, Puerto Rico to Fort Myers, Florida
• San Juan, Puerto Rico to Tampa

Of these six routes, only one (Newark to Oakland) will be left unserved when Spirit exits the market in August, as competitors are operating the other routes. It remains uncertain if another airline will take over Spirit's service from Newark to Oakland, but United Airlines—the largest carrier at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)—might consider adding this route.

Interestingly, Continental Airlines, which merged with United in 2012, operated this flight back in 2003. In recent years, it has been served by Spirit and Southwest Airlines, the latter of which completely withdrew from Newark in 2019.

Travelers flying from Newark to Oakland will need to either fly into San Francisco or connect through another location to reach Oakland. JetBlue previously offered service to San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport (OAK) from New York City's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), but that route was discontinued in March 2020.

Regarding the other routes that Spirit is eliminating, only two are not served by competing low-cost carriers: Fort Lauderdale to Los Angeles and Newark to Phoenix. Other routes have alternatives operated by airlines like Frontier and Southwest, helping to keep competitive pressure on prices.

A Spirit representative informed TPG that these cuts are "part of the strategic adjustments we're making to our network."

Recently, Spirit has been actively reshaping its network to regain profitability. For instance, the airline is temporarily suspending all international flights from Houston due to low demand.

Additionally, in May, Spirit introduced a rare new shuttle route from Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) to Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH). This 247-mile route already has extensive service, but Spirit likely hopes it will create new connecting options for travelers.

Indeed, enhancing new connecting options has been a key focus for Spirit this year. The airline is scaling back growth in Florida while introducing new flights like the Dallas-to-Houston route, which should attract both local and connecting passengers.

Earlier this year, Spirit launched new routes while cutting some others. Having amassed over $2 billion in net losses since 2020, it's clear that Spirit is making significant efforts to return to profitability.