Spirit Airlines launches at Savannah airport. Here’s where they will fly

Spirit Airlines officially launches at Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport on Thursday, providing direct daily service between the Lowcountry and Newark, New Jersey.

The first Spirit flight from Newark Liberty International Airport to Savannah was scheduled for 12 p.m. on Thursday, with an arrival time of 2:05 p.m. The flight back to Newark is scheduled for 3:05 p.m.

This is just the beginning of Spirit’s operations at SAV. Starting Oct. 9, the airline will also fly directly to Fort Lauderdale, Florida four days a week, Nashville, Tennessee three times per week and Detroit, Michigan twice a week.

“This new service opens up exciting travel opportunities for visitors heading to southeast Georgia and the coastal areas of southeast South Carolina,” said Greg Kelly, executive director of the Savannah Airport Commission, said in a press release. “For our local community, it means convenient access to four of Spirit’s most popular destinations — bringing more choice, value and connectivity.”

Spirit is the latest low-cost carrier to join SAV; Allegiant Air, Breeze Airways, Sun Country Airlines, Avelo Airlines and Frontier Airlines already operate there. Low-cost carriers offer a no-frills flight experience, but often charge for things passengers can get for free on other airlines, like carry-on bags or snacks. Savannah is Spirit’s second Georgia market: It launched at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport 19 years ago, and service at Middle Georgia Regional Airport in Macon is scheduled to launch Oct. 16.

As it expands into Savannah, Spirit is facing financial troubles. The company emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy earlier this year by equitizing about $795 million of funded debt. Spirit also received a $350 million boost from investors to fund its future.

But financial problems persist, the public company said in its Aug. 11 quarterly report. Domestic leisure travel demand was down in the second quarter, and the company implemented several cost-reduction strategies, including a pilot furlough. But the future of the company is still uncertain, the airline said.

“Because of the uncertainty of successfully completing the initiatives to comply with the minimum liquidity covenants and of the outcome of discussions with company stakeholders, management has concluded there is substantial doubt as to the company’s ability to continue as a going concern within 12 months from the date these financial statements are issued,” the company said in its August filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange commission.

Meanwhile, at Savannah/Hilton Head airport, passenger traffic is on the rise. Last year, about 4.1 million visitors used the airport, up from 3.9 million in 2023, 2.8 million in 2021 and about 3 million in 2019. To meet demand, the airport is adding four new gates and about 43,000 square feet of space.

This story was originally published August 14, 2025 at 12:21 PM.