Spirit Airlines has continued its rapid Caribbean expansion with a major ramp-up of service to Cancun, Caribbean Journal has learned. 

The low-cost carrier has kicked off new nonstop flights to Cancun from five United States cities. 

That includes new flights to Cancun from Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Austin, Nashville and Philadelphia. 

It means Spirit now operates a total of nine daily nonstop flights to Cancun International Airport, the most of any ultra-low-cost carrier, the company said. 

“Continuing our commitment to invest in the experience of our passengers, we are proud to inaugurate these five flights to key cities in the United States, providing them with more opportunities to meet new destinations with so much to offer our travelers,” said Camilo Martelo, director of international airports for Spirit. 

Cancun was actually Spirit’s first-ever international destination when the carrier began service to the Mexican Caribbean in 2003. 

The Cancun flights from Cleveland and Austin to Cancun will both operate on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. 

Nashville-Cancun and Pittsburgh-Cancun will both run on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. 

The Philadelphia-Cancun flights will be daily service, according to a statement from Spirit Airlines.

The new nonstop flights “help to consolidate the position of [Cancun International Airport] as the most important in [Mexico],” said Carlos Trueba Coll, director of CIP. 

It’s a big boost for the airport, which recently turned around its traffic numbers after flat arrival growth for much of 2019, according to recently-released ASUR, the Mexican firm that operates the airport as part of its broad international portfolio.

And it’s another testament to the surging growth of the Mexican Caribbean at large, which continues to lead the region in new hotel development, from Cancun to fast-expanding Playa del Carmen to the upstart development center of Costa Mujeres, the so-called “New Cancun.”

— CJ