The Key West Airport may be seeing a new face. It is a familiar face in The Airline Industry but a new addition to Key West. Monroe County, Key West International Airport and Spirit Airlines are discussing the possibilities of Spirit coming to Key West. This addition could effect travel, tourism and the over all economy of Key West. The following article was printed in The Key West Citizen today.
BY TRACI RORK
Citizen Staff
Spirit Airlines is considering adding Key West to its routes and this week sent a 144-seat plane to test the runway with a series of touch-and-gos. The Miramar-based airline will meet with Monroe County airport officials next week to discuss whether Spirit’s A319 Airbus will become a frequent flier to the Southernmost City. “We haven’t heard anything officially from them that they’re coming, but we’re certainly being considered,” Monroe County Airports Director Peter Horton said of both the Key West and Marathon airports. “If they do come in with the frequency we hope for, this would be the biggest news for the airport since Delta began direct flights to Atlanta” in 2002. Spirit’s Airbus carries twice as many passengers as Delta’s, yet is only 4 feet longer, so either runway should accommodate them, Horton said. The plane’s wings help it maneuver on shorter runways. Company spokeswoman Alison Russell would not comment on the possibility of Spirit flying to Key West, saying only that the Airbus was testing what’s possible for shorter runway operations, those less than 5,000 feet. Key West’s runway is 4,800 feet, while Marathon’s is 5,000 feet. The airline’s visit to Key West was a good sign, Horton said. Spirit, which is looking for 10 new South Florida cities from which to operate, could begin its route as early as February if it decides on Key West. The low-cost airline, whose affiliate Spirit Vacations offers Key West package deals, flies mostly to destinations in the Bahamas, Caribbean and Latin America. In January, Spirit purchased 30 new A319 Airbus planes. “When coupled with high productivity in all parts of our operation, these new airplanes affirm Spirit’s position as the leading low-cost carrier to the Caribbean and Latin America, as well as provide the basis for a sound and rational growth plan into the next decade,” President and CEO Ben Baldanza said in a press release.
Keep an eye out for the new but familiar face at The Key West Airport.
Gary
