Spirit plans significant growth in 2008

While the nation’s Big Six “legacy” airlines are expected to continue trimming their domestic capacity next year, Low-cost Spirit Airlines is laying plans to add 10 new destinations to its route network in 2008, and to expand its overall capacity by 10 percent, according to CEO Ben Baldanza. Recent growth has made Spirit the largest airline operating at Ft. Lauderdale, and the largest low-cost carrier at Detroit, he said. Spirit is projecting a capacity growth of 20 percent in south Florida over the next year. Much of the carrier’s planned growth is aimed at Latin America and the Caribbean. For example, Spirit will begin Ft. Lauderdale-Panama City service January 31, and new service from Orlando to Aguadilla, Puerto Rico February 14.