New Direct Flight Between Ft. Lauderdale - T&T Possible

[Yeo]

Miramar-based Spirit Airlines wants to fly to Peru from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport with daily nonstops to Lima and Chiclayo. Service could begin as early as May if U.S. and Peruvian officials approve the plan.

Spirit also has asked the U.S. Department of Transportation for permission to serve Trinidad and Tobago in the southern Caribbean with nonstops from Fort Lauderdale -- an extension of the airline's goal to serve much of the region at lower fares than its competitors.

"We've been considering Peru for about two years. Looking at the passenger traffic alone, this is one of the largest potential markets we don't serve," said Barry Biffle, Spirit's chief marketing officer.

While three airlines fly from Miami to Lima, fares are high and seats sometimes hard to get, Biffle said, noting there are some 20,000 Peruvians in Broward County who might use the proposed route.

"We've found that providing lower-priced seats encourages a lot of people to fly, many for the first time," Biffle said. He said that could be the case with Peruvian residents who otherwise could not afford to travel between their country and the United States.

Spirit envisions daily, low-fare service to Lima, using one of its new Airbus A319 aircraft with 144 seats, according to its application. The company will not specify fares until it receives at least U.S. approval.

The decision to fly to Chiclayo on the northern coastal plain of Peru is a bit of a gamble because there are no direct flights between that city and South Florida and no firm way to determine what passenger traffic would be. Now, fliers headed to Chiclayo must stop in Lima first.

Chiclayo, which is Peru's fourth-largest city, has 2 million people within a three-hour drive, and that holds great potential for nonstop service to the United States, Biffle said. Initially, flights would be once or twice a week and would begin in June or July.

Spirit received U.S. approval in November to fly to Caracas, Venezuela, as its first South American destination. Approval by Venezuelan authorities is pending, and the airline has not set a start date for service from Fort Lauderdale.

The airline's plan to fly to Trinidad and Tobago projects one flight a day during the summer and perhaps a flight on three or four days a week during other times of the year. If approved, service could begin in mid-May, Biffle said.

Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel
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[MG Man]

well ge, that's just swell. I just bought three tickets fir Orlando via MIami, for end of March
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I know it's so, for I told me so

[Princess-Kaveshla]

I'll definately be looking out for that..
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