Spirit Airlines, the leading low-fare airline, announced today its daily non-stop service from Fort Lauderdale to Santo Domingo as of 18 November 2004. The flights offer connections to Atlantic City, Cancun, Chicago/O’Hare, NY/La Guardia, Providence and Washington, D.C./Reagan National. The flights to Santo Domingo’s Las Americas International come at a time the US Department of Transportation has granted the airline authority to fly to 11 Caribbean destinations. In the press release announcing the service, company CEO Jacob Schorr explains that the new flight is part of its increased service to the Caribbean. An introductory fare of US$59 plus hefty taxes and airport charges applies to the Santo Domingo-Fort Lauderdale direct flight, and fares if US$89 plus hefty taxes and charges to the connecting flights.
Founded in 1990, Fort Lauderdale-based Spirit Airlines had the second highest load factor of any US airline and is the largest privately-held airline in the US.