Spirit’s Shutdown Hit Puerto Rico Hardest in Fort Lauderdale — Here’s Which Flights to San Juan, Aguadilla, and Ponce Are Still Operating
Fort Lauderdale was Spirit Airlines’ Puerto Rico gateway.
For years, the airline built one of the busiest low-cost Puerto Rico networks in the mainland United States from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, with nonstop flights to San Juan, Aguadilla and Ponce running throughout the day.
When Spirit shut down earlier this month, Puerto Rico lost more flights from Fort Lauderdale than from any other mainland city.
The routes connected South Florida with Puerto Rico’s largest VFR markets while also serving travelers looking for some of the Caribbean’s cheapest fares.
Now airlines are racing to fill the gap.
JetBlue Is Expanding Fast in Puerto Rico
The biggest replacement carrier has been JetBlue, which has rapidly expanded Puerto Rico flying from Fort Lauderdale after Spirit’s collapse.
That includes expanded service to both San Juan and Aguadilla, along with a new daily nonstop route between Fort Lauderdale and Ponce launching July 9.
The Ponce route had briefly disappeared after Spirit shut down, leaving southern Puerto Rico travelers without a nonstop option to South Florida.
JetBlue is now bringing the route back. The airline has also added more capacity across Puerto Rico as it builds Fort Lauderdale into a larger Caribbean hub.
What Routes Are Still Flying From Fort Lauderdale?
Travelers still have several nonstop options between Fort Lauderdale and Puerto Rico.
Flights between Fort Lauderdale and San Juan are currently operated by JetBlue, Frontier Airlines and Southwest Airlines. Fort Lauderdale-Aguadilla service is currently operated by JetBlue. Flights between Fort Lauderdale and Ponce return July 9 on JetBlue.
That means all three Puerto Rico destinations formerly served by Spirit from Fort Lauderdale now either have replacement service already operating or flights launching this summer.
Why Fort Lauderdale Was So Important
Spirit built much of its Caribbean network around Fort Lauderdale because of the airport’s proximity to South Florida’s large Puerto Rican population and its lower operating costs compared to Miami International Airport.
The airline turned Fort Lauderdale-San Juan into one of its signature Caribbean routes, often operating multiple daily flights and some of the market’s lowest fares.
Aguadilla became an important route for western Puerto Rico travelers, while Ponce gave southern Puerto Rico nonstop service to South Florida.
For many travelers, Fort Lauderdale became the easiest and cheapest way to reach Puerto Rico from the mainland.
What Happens to Fares Now
That remains the biggest question.
Spirit spent years driving down ticket prices on Puerto Rico routes from South Florida. Industry analysts expect fares to rise in markets where ultra-low-cost competition disappears.
Frontier still gives travelers a lower-cost option on the San Juan route, while JetBlue has added promotional pricing and additional seats across Puerto Rico as it absorbs demand from Spirit’s former network.
Puerto Rico still has nonstop flights from Fort Lauderdale. But the airport’s route map looks very different now.
