Spirit Airlines this week is launching its nonstop service out of the Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport to Orlando, Florida.
It was originally scheduled to start here in June, but that got pushed back when several airlines adjusted their summer schedules.
Speaking at the airport at a news conference on Tuesday, Monroe County Executive Adam Bello said that having the low-cost carrier in Rochester will help spur lower prices.
“This is the first time in several years that we will have a daily nonstop flight to Orlando right here out of Rochester. This new daily nonstop service will bring over a thousand additional weekly seats, greater competition, which then should also bring lower fares to our market,” said Bello.
Bello said that Rochester is the only upstate location that Spirit is currently providing service to.
Jason Vogelman, Senior Director of Airport Innovation, Standards & Training with Spirit, indicated that the airline would eventually like to expand its operations in Rochester.
“(It’s) an absolutely beautiful airport as well…very impressed with the innovation at the airport here. I know there will be plenty of opportunities to visit in the years to come. Because when Spirit decides to invest in a market, we do so for the long run, and it’s our intention to continue to grow our presence,” said Vogelman.
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The Spirit Charitable Foundation on Tuesday also announced a $20,000 donation to GIGI's Playhouse, a nonprofit organization that provides programs for individuals with Down syndrome.
Spirit Airlines shareholders voted Wednesday to accept a $3.8 billion buyout from JetBlue Airways, but the deal could still face a challenge from federal antitrust regulators.
JetBlue emerged as the winner in a bidding war with Frontier to acquire Spirit, the nation’s biggest budget airline.
Wall Street widely expected shareholders to approve the sale after they forced Spirit to drop a proposed merger with Frontier Airlines in favor of JetBlue’s richer, all-cash offer.
“This is an important step forward on our path to closing a combination that will create the most compelling national low-fare challenger to the dominant U.S. carriers,” Spirit CEO Ted Christie said after the vote.
This story includes reporting by the Associated Press.
