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Two Airlines Shuffle Routes: US Airways Continues to Cut Back Flights at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, While Spirit Airlines Keeps Adding More

Posted on: Tuesday, 13 June 2006, 06:00 CDT

By Ina Paiva Cordle, The Miami Herald

Jun. 13--US Airways, which briefly created an international mini-hub at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, will further cut back flights there this fall, particularly to Caribbean destinations.

The airline's pullbacks, a continuation of moves that began last spring, will put an end to the mini-hub. The cuts have accelerated as US Airways restructured and came out of bankruptcy protection, merging with America West.

Meanwhile, Spirit Airlines said Monday it will expand its winter schedule from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood, adding more flights to some of the same locations.

After Sept. 5, US Airways will no longer fly from Fort Lauderdale to Kingston, Jamaica; Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic; or New York's LaGuardia,;and flights to Cancun will be reduced to once a week, said US Airways spokesman Morgan Durrant.

There will also be one less flight daily to Charlotte, N.C., Philadelphia, Key West and Phoenix, he said. Charlotte will go to six flights, Philadelphia to five, Key West to two and Phoenix to one.

"It's one of the realities of operating at $70 a barrel oil," Durrant said. "When routes are unprofitable, we have to redeploy and create the most benefit for the most passengers."

As a result, the airline is adding flights from other cities, including a second daily flight between Las Vegas and Fort Lauderdale, beginning Aug. 31.

In February 2005, US Airways launched service from Fort Lauderdale to seven Latin and Caribbean destinations, including Guatemala City; Panama City, Panama; San Salvador; and San Jose, Costa Rica. Last spring and fall it canceled many of the flights. Although it had added service to Montego Bay, Jamaica, it has since pulled out.

At the same time, Miramar-based Spirit, which now flies to 12 Latin American and Caribbean destinations from Fort Lauderdale, will expand further.

On Dec. 14, the low-cost carrier will add a second daily flight to Kingston, Jamaica; Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic; and Washington D.C.'s Reagan National from Fort Lauderdale. It will also add a third daily flight to San Juan, Puerto Rico, and a sixth daily flight to New York's LaGuardia.

"We're reaffirming that our growth continues, regardless of what US Airways does," said Barry Biffle, Spirit's chief marketing officer.

Spirit's new frequencies won't begin until December because the airline is waiting for additional deliveries and pilot training for its Airbus planes, Biffle said. The carrier is restructuring its fleet from aging MD-80s to new Airbus A-319s and A-321s.

Spirit, which is now ranks as the largest international carrier at Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood, will offer a total of more than 30 daily flights from the airport this winter, he said.

Ed Nelson, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood's director of air service development, said the timing of US Airways' cancellations and Spirit's new frequencies should work out for passengers.

US Airways' cutbacks will come at the end of the Caribbean summer season, he said, while Spirit's expansion will coincide with the start of the busy winter season.

"It seems like it makes sense," Nelson said. "The capacity is going to be there when it is needed."

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Copyright (c) 2006, The Miami Herald

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

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Source: The Miami Herald

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