Spirit Airlines is expanding its services with a new flight route connecting Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) and Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport (BHM). According to AeroRoutes and Cirium’s Diio Mi airline planning tool, this daily flight could be seasonal, running from June to August. The low-cost carrier will utilize its Airbus A320neo aircraft for these flights.
This addition marks one of two new routes Spirit Airlines will introduce from Newark in June. The other route leads to Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD), which began operations in July 2024 and is expected to continue until at least August. However, schedule data beyond that month has not been filed, leaving the continuation of both routes into autumn uncertain.
Spirit Airlines’ move will provide competition for Delta Air Lines on the New York-Birmingham route. Currently, Delta operates 20 weekly flights between New York-LaGuardia and Birmingham through its regional subsidiary Endeavor Air using Mitsubishi CRJ900 jets. In contrast, Spirit’s A320neo offers more than twice the seating capacity.
Between May 2023 and April 2024, American Airlines and Republic Airways operated six weekly flights on this route but exited the market in 2024, leaving Delta as the sole provider until now.
Spirit Airlines has also adjusted its summer network at Newark International. Despite a modest increase in operations by 0.9% year-on-year (YoY), it plans to add flights on existing routes like those to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) or Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT).
JetBlue has reduced its Boston-New York flights due to strategic refocusing and high landing fees. Meanwhile, Spirit continues its Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings but remains active with a pilot base opened in Newark in May 2024. The airline is now the second-largest at Newark airport behind United Airlines.
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