Airlines at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport rushing to fill gaps left behind by Spirit Airlines

A surge in airline competition is reshaping service at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport following Spirit Airlines' departure. Carriers including Avianca, Breeze, and JetBlue are rapidly expanding routes and capacity to capitalize on the newly available space.

Avianca has moved into Terminal 4, previously occupied by Spirit, to accommodate its growth. The airline plans to serve four Colombian cities by mid-July, an increase from its previous service to Bogota and Medellin, and now operates 35 weekly flights.

"Now Fort Lauderdale has more flights, for example, than Washington, and then Orlando, then Chicago, so it's definitely, I would say, the top five origins from the US to Colombia," said Rolando Damas of Avianca Airlines.

Breeze Airways is introducing eight new destinations starting today, with nonstops to Tallahassee, Tampa, and Jacksonville. Travel expert Clint Henderson of The Points Guy noted that while the expansion is significant, the airline is known for quickly cutting routes that fail to reach profitability.

JetBlue is also aggressively scaling operations, with plans to reach approximately 150 daily flights by the end of the year, up from its current 130. The airline is adding 11 new flights and emphasizing its premium "Mint" cabin service and lounge access as key competitive differentiators.

Passengers like Daniella Rodales, who travels between Fort Lauderdale and Honduras, have welcomed the options. "They do have the carry-on, and they have this policy of refunds; their departure and arrival times are good," Rodales said.