In a new update to the reservation system, it was observed that Spirit Airlines will suspend its flights between Fort Lauderdale (FLL) and Guayaquil (GYE), Ecuador, starting February 11, 2025, thus exiting the Ecuadorian market.
For the low-cost airline, this decision represents another reduction in its presence in South America. Recently, flights to Lima (LIM), Peru, and Bucaramanga (BGA), Colombia, shifted from operating year-round to being seasonal (December to February).
In response to a query from Aviacionline, Spirit Airlines stated that «we routinely evaluate our network and make adjustments to support the company’s business strategy based on current market and operational conditions.»
«As part of this normal evaluation, we have updated our upcoming schedule to focus on our highest-performing routes, including the transition of our Guayaquil (GYE) service to a seasonal service,» they continued, indicating that service to the Ecuadorian city will resume later in 2025, although an exact date has not been determined.
Spirit began flying to Guayaquil in March 2018, offering a daily flight. This destination has been the only one in Ecuador operated by the airline, initially with Airbus A319 aircraft and later with A320neo.
The route cancellation occurs amid growing losses and looming debt maturities faced by the Florida-based company. Spirit is in negotiations with its creditors as it enters Chapter 11 of the U.S. bankruptcy code.
Fewer and fewer airlines in Ecuador
At the beginning of 2024, Ecuador experienced a significant shift when the government declared an «internal armed conflict» in response to increasing insecurity in several cities across the country. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Ecuador has one of the highest homicide rates in the world, with 46 murders per 100,000 inhabitants.
The violence and instability in the country have led several airlines, including Viva Aerobus, Aeroméxico, jetBlue, Wingo, and Conviasa, to reconsider their operations in Ecuador. Many of these airlines suspended flights to the country from late 2023 through 2024. Others reduced their presence, such as JetSMART, while LATAM suspended its routes to Guayaquil from Lima and Bogotá, respectively.
Despite this, Avianca has increased its international flights in Ecuador, adding destinations such as Punta Cana, Buenos Aires, Medellín, and San José, Costa Rica, from Quito and/or Guayaquil.
