Low-cost airline at Charlotte airport adds Florida beach destination to its routes

Spirit Airlines is adding a nonstop flight from Charlotte to Fort Myers, Florida, before the spring season, the low-fare carrier announced on Tuesday.

The service will start March 5 between Charlotte Douglas International Airport and Southwest Florida International Airport, according to the company. Flights will operate daily.

Southwest Florida offers spring break getaways for Charlotte passengers wanting to see beaches, sunsets on the western side of the state and outdoor activities, said John Kirby, Spirit’s vice president of network planning.

This is the second route announced for Charlotte in less than a month by Spirit. The airline is adding nonstop flights from CLT to New Orleans, starting Oct. 10. Service will be offered five times a week on Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

The Florida-based company has a small footprint at Charlotte Douglas along with other airlines such as Delta, Frontier, Jet Blue and Southwest. Spirit makes up about 2% of flights at Charlotte Douglas.

Spirit began service at CLT in 2019, with direct routes to Fort Lauderdale and Orlando, Florida, Newark, NJ, and Baltimore/Washington.

About Charlotte Douglas Airport

CLT is ranked as the seventh-busiest airport worldwide for arrivals and departures, according to the Airport Council International’s rankings for 2023.

American Airlines accounts for about 87% of services at CLT. The airport is the second-largest hub for the Fort Worth, Texas-based company. The airline is adding direct routes to Caribbean country St. Vincent and the Grenadines in December. American also announced service to Canadian destinations Quebec City, Calgary and Vancouver.

The additions from Spirit and American are some of many new nonstop routes at CLT.

Frontier announced new nonstop flights going to Boston from Charlotte, starting in August. In July, the airline started a new route from CLT to Miami. And direct routes to the Cincinnati region began in May.

The Denver-based company announced service to six US cities and a Caribbean destination earlier this year: New York/LaGuardia; Houston-Bush; Dallas-Fort Worth; Chicago O’Hare; Baltimore-Washington; Buffalo, New York; and San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Low-cost carrier Contour Airlines is starting service from Charlotte to Altoona-Blair County Airport in Martinsburg, Pennsylvania. For passengers in the Charlotte region, the new route is another option for trips to Pennsylvania destinations. The airport is about 3 1/2 hours from Philadelphia and two hours from Pittsburgh or Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.