Charleston To Welcome Spirit Airlines in Spring 2023

Spirit has announced that it will be adding Charleston (CHS) to its route map in 2023.

The ultra-low-cost airline will kick off its arrival in Charleston for the first time with nonstop services to Fort Lauderdale (FLL), Newark (EWR), and Philadelphia (PHL).

“We’re excited to connect the beautiful city of Charleston, South Carolina, with 3 of the biggest metro areas on the East Coast,” said John Kirby.

Here’s everything you need to know.

Spirit’s Ultra-Low Fares Come To Charleston

Each of Spirit’s new services from Charleston will operate daily starting on April 5, 2023. 

From the published schedules, it appears that 1 aircraft will be based at Charleston which will then carry out the service of the new routes one after the other.

The first of the day will be the 6 a.m. departure to Philadelphia:

• Depart Charleston (CHS) 6 a.m. — Arrive Philadelphia (PHL) 7:57 a.m.
• Depart Philadelphia (PHL) 8:47 a.m. — Arrive Charleston (10:52) a.m.

Once the aircraft returns, it will then head to Newark just 50 minutes after its scheduled arrival from Philly.

• Depart Charleston (CHS) 11:42 a.m. — Arrive Newark (EWR) 1:55 p.m.
• Depart Newark (EWR) 2:45 p.m. — Arrive Charleston (CHS) 5:01 p.m.

And the third and final Spirit flight of the day from Charleston will depart to Fort Lauderdale at 5:51 p.m.:

• Depart Charleston (CHS) 5:51 pm. — Arrive Fort Lauderdale (FLL) 7:21 p.m. 
• Depart Fort Lauderdale (FLL) 8:11 p.m. — Arrive Charleston (CHS) 9:49 p.m.

Single aircraft operations of back-to-back flights like this can be problematic in the event of the plane having technical issues or encountering delays in any of the sectors as it impacts the plane’s entire schedule for the day.

As each of the routes is already served by airlines including American and United, the additional competition that Spirit’s ultra-low-fares will bring to the 3 routes could force the incumbent airlines to bring down their fares too.

“Spirit’s low fares and affordable flights provide more options for travelers to take a vacation here in Charleston, or for local residents to visit family and friends in three major cities any day of the week,” said Elliot Summey, airport executive director and CEO at Charleston International Airport.

Hot Tip: There are many ways to earn a ton of Free Spirit Points so you could save even more money on Spirit’s already ultra-low-fares.

Final Thoughts

Spirit will be flying its bright yellow jets to and from Charleston starting in Spring 2023. Its routes to Fort Lauderdale, Newark, and Philadelphia could be just the start of many more routes from Charleston to come.