Spirit Airlines to Launch Fort Lauderdale–Belize Route This November

Yesterday, we announced that Spirit Airlines will begin servicing Belize later this year with direct flights to and from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA. Evan Tillett, Director of Tourism, spoke on the milestone, saying that discussions had been ongoing for the past 18 months. Beginning November 21, the low-cost U.S. carrier will launch nonstop flights between Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) and Belize’s Philip S.W. Goldson International Airport. According to Tillett, the route is a game-changer, as flights from South Florida to Belize have historically been costly, something this new service aims to address.

Evan Tillett, Director of Tourism: “I think that we have seen in the past what a mix of low-cost and heritage carriers do in terms of the  pricing and getting into a destination for tickets. And so we are hoping that it will help to  make the visit to Belize even more accessible and cheaper. I think that’s always a possibility and that’s always the end goal. I think right now we’re looking at the frequency of three times  per week. And I think the end goal is to get to a total of a daily service to Belize. And once that is successful then we can have the discussion into moving into other destination that we see that aligns with our destination. The $85 is definitely an introductory fare and I think that every Belizean should take advantage of it in terms of  getting to South Florida. I think that’s one of the more popular destinations for Belizeans and I think having a low-cost career like Spirit aligns with getting to that destination quite cost-effectively. If you look at Spirit, they have basically reinvented themselves over the past  year or so. They now offer Spirit First which is similar to a first class. So it’s no longer just that budget pricing that they are. So you can get a higher level of service. I think they have Spirit First, they have premium economy and they have the basic service that they are known or. In terms of  the pricing I think that’s one of the cheaper prices in terms of getting to Belize. I think coming out of South Florida in particular that market is dominated by the American Airlines and the ticket pricing over the past couple of years has been increasing and it’s very expensive to get to South Florida. And so this provides  opportunity and an option to get a cheaper service into the U.S. market.”

The new route will operate three times a week, on Mondays, Fridays, and Saturdays, offering travelers an affordable and convenient option to visit Belize. As part of the launch, Spirit is offering special introductory one-way fares as low as $85 USD. With the addition of this new flight, Belize now has 23 direct international destinations.