FORT LAUDERDALE – Spirit Airlines will begin non-stop service between its Fort Lauderdale hub and St. Maarten, Netherlands Antilles beginning April 20, 2007. Service will be offered three times weekly on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
In addition to non-stop service from its Fort Lauderdale hub, Spirit will also offer connecting service from its domestic network. Spirit serves all routes with its fleet of Airbus aircraft, the youngest in the Americas.
“We couldn’t be happier to have St. Maarten in our 2007 expansion plans,” said Barry Biffle, Chief Marketing Officer of Spirit Airlines. “This is a beautiful destination with no shortage of demand for travel. Whether it’s a vacation in one of the Caribbean’s most unique settings, or a shopping spree in South Florida, Spirit’s plan is to offer an affordable option for travel to great destinations.”
“Spirit Airlines is currently Fort Lauderdale’s largest international carrier so we weren’t surprised that they planned for yet another Caribbean destination,” said Interim Aviation Director, Bob Bielek. “Spirit’s continued expansion is reinforcing Fort Lauderdale’s position as the gateway to the Caribbean and Latin America. We are very pleased that Broward County will continue to benefit from Spirit’s expansion plans.”
“We look forward to welcoming Spirit to our airline product line and in a true ‘St. Maarten Spirit,’ we know that this is the beginning of a long term partnership with the Island Government of St. Maarten,” said Commissioner Roy Marlin, Acting Commissioner of Aviation.
“As Commissioner of Economic Affairs & Tourism it gives me great pleasure to welcome Spirit Airlines to our shores,” said Commissioner Theo Heyliger. “Spirit Airlines will be an asset to our local economy and the people of our beautiful island.”
“On behalf of the St. Maarten Hospitality & Trade Association, we are delighted to have assisted in the negotiations with Spirit Airlines,” said Emil Lee, SHTA President. “Due to their lower cost structure, Spirit Airlines will be able to service our destination with very competitive air fares, which will be a tremendous boost for tourism as well as our resident population.
Ultimately, tourism is the engine that drives our economy and anything that makes us more competitive is a blessing.”
“On behalf of The Little Caribbean Alliance; the Directors of Tourism of Anguilla, St. Barths, Saba, St. Eustatius, St. Maarten and St. Martin, we knew that we wanted to ‘Catch the Spirit’ since our initial discussions,” said Regina M. La Bega, Director of Tourism St. Maarten and Chairperson of the Little Caribbean Alliance.
“Attracting a Low Cost Carrier is an important objective in St. Maarten’s Tourism Master Plan, which will allow for cheaper air fares to the island, therefore allowing a higher per visitor expenditure on the islands that will assist with eliminating seasonal and increasing year round employment.”
Introductory coach fares between Fort Lauderdale and St. Maarten start at 5 cents each way when purchased at spiritair.com by January 23, 2007 for travel on select dates.
