Officially grounded on May 2, 2026, Spirit Airlines has left behind not only an array of failed plans, but also holes in capacity in some of its major hubs. Thus, Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport, where Spirit made up nearly 30% of total served passengers, is going to see a hole in the market. However, JetBlue, already the second largest carrier in Fort Lauderdale, is happy to fill that gap.

The carrier has launched 11 routes out of Fort Lauderdale, covering domestic destinations and international ones such as Puerto Rico. In addition, for the first time in the history of JetBlue's Fort Lauderdale operations, Colombia is featured in the list of destinations. This extensive route expansion may very well allow JetBlue to become the dominant carrier of Fort Lauderdale airport within a matter of time, a title previously held by Spirit.

11 JetBlue Routes to Launch From Fort Lauderdale Starting Late Summer/Early Fall. The launches will take place on three separate dates: from late July to early November.

Firstly, the following seven destinations will be opened on July 9, 2026, each offered with several frequencies per day:

• Baltimore/Washington (BWI): three daily round-trip flights
• Charlotte Douglas (CLT): three daily round-trip flights
• Chicago O'Hare (ORD): three daily round-trip flights
• Detroit Metropolitan (DTW): two daily round-trip flights
• Houston Bush Intercontinental (IAH): two daily round-trip flights
• Nashville International (BNA): two daily round-trip flights
• Ponce (PSE): one daily round-trip flight

In October of the same year, Fort Lauderdale airport launched its first ever flight to Barranquilla (BAQ) Colombia. One round-trip daily flight is scheduled. Next, the airport will launch its first-ever route to another Colombian city: Cali (CLO). Also to be added with one daily round-trip flight, the route will commence in early October, as well.

Why JetBlue's Fort Lauderdale Expansion Is So Significant

Understanding the extent of the loss of Spirit Airlines in terms of Fort Lauderdale airport may shed light on why JetBlue has decided to make its move in this location. Spirit Airlines made up close to one-third of the total passengers served by Fort Lauderdale International Airport. Thus, the Spirit collapse resulted in a huge loss of traffic at Fort Lauderdale airport. In addition, Spirit Airlines was the only airline offering ultra-low-cost routes to most of its served destinations at FLL airport.

Thus, for all carriers currently operating out of FLL, there appears to be two options: either fill that gap or experience a drop in total passenger numbers. Given that prior to Spirit's collapse JetBlue was the second largest airline of Fort Lauderdale airport, the current route expansion could prove quite beneficial for the company.

Why This Particular Move Is Important for JetBlue's Future Growth

While the above reasoning already explains JetBlue's decision-making, there is another reason why expanding into Fort Lauderdale could be crucial for the airline's future growth. Namely, Fort Lauderdale is an essential location for JetBlue as far as its leisure travel business goes. The carrier operates plenty of flights out of the airport already, and being able to become the dominant carrier at this airport would allow it to solidify this market segment.

Furthermore, several high-frequency routes are planned to be added. In order to operate flights to a destination with three departures per day, the airline should expect high passenger demand throughout the year. However, the Colombian destinations are unlikely to be counted towards the high-frequency group due to lower annual demand. Thus, Barranquilla and Cali serve as new markets for the airline within the Colombian diaspora in South Florida.

Everything You Should Consider Before Flying out of Fort Lauderdale

If you are a frequent flier of Fort Lauderdale airport, the above news can have several implications for your flying habits. Namely, if you usually rely on Spirit Airlines as your carrier, you can expect changes in the pricing landscape for flights departing from Fort Lauderdale airport. Indeed, since Spirit Airlines offered ultra-low fares to multiple destinations, it put the pricing pressure on other airlines operating similar routes, namely JetBlue and Southwest. With no low-cost option left, you can be certain about rising airfares out of Fort Lauderdale airport.

However, this does not necessarily mean that you cannot get your money's worth. While JetBlue is indeed not the same carrier as Spirit, there are still many reasons to enjoy traveling with it. Firstly, JetBlue allows customers to automatically accumulate loyalty rewards points (TrueBlue). In addition, the company offers its loyal fliers membership in a multi-tiered reward program with perks such as free same-day change and preferred boarding.

Lastly, given the fact that JetBlue offers several branded co-branded credit cards for its customers, maximizing the number of benefits while minimizing costs has never been easier. 

When Can We Travel Out of Fort Lauderdale with JetBlue?

One thing you definitely should keep in mind while considering making trips with JetBlue out of Fort Lauderdale is the launch date of each specific route. While most new routes will be launched already in July, others are scheduled to commence in October and November of 2026. Therefore, planning your FLL travel for the next few months is impossible without using an alternative travel route.

In case you need to travel to the new Colombian destinations offered by the airline, note that their launch is also scheduled for October. Thus, until those routes are operational, you will need to use Miami or alternative connection-based routes.

Final Thoughts

JetBlue plans to add 11 new routes out of Fort Lauderdale in response to the recent Spirit collapse. All these new routes are going to be launched throughout the remainder of 2026, with launches expected already in July and the final ones in November. Among the covered destinations are Baltimore, Charlotte, Chicago, Detroit, Houston, Nashville, and Colombia.