Spirit Expands In Orlando With New Crew Base

Spirit Airlines launched international service from Orlando International on Thursday and announced it would set up a new crew base at the Florida airport.

The Miramar-based ultra low cost airline said it will bring hundreds of new jobs to the area with its crew base for flight attendants and pilots.

Spirit’s chief executive Bob Fornaro said Orlando is the perfect location for the base. “We’ve served more than 22 million guests in our 25 years in Orlando. We’re excited to continue our historic expansion here.”

Thursday also marked the day Spirit launched its first international routes from MCO. The new routes are to Aguadilla, Puerto Rico; Guatemala City, Guatemala; Panama City, Panama; and Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

The new routes take the number of Spirit’s nonstop services from Orlando to 38 destinations, with up to 49 daily flights across the US, and now internationally.

“Spirit Airlines’ growth in the Central Florida region is evident with their increased domestic and international flight schedules. Now, with the addition of a Spirit crew base at Orlando International Airport, they further solidify their commitment to our community,” Phil Brown, chief executive of the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority said.

The Orlando crew base will open on December 1, 2018, with about 150 staff. Spirit said it expects to bring hundreds more inflight positions to the airport next year.