By Charles Gladden
BELIZE CITY, Mon. Nov. 24, 2025
Spirit Airlines landed on Belizean soil at the Philip S.W. Goldson International Airport (PGIA) for the first time on Friday, November 21, after its inaugural flight from the Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport (FLL) in Florida to the country.
Fort Lauderdale has thus become the 23rd city in the United States of America from which airline passengers can travel directly to Belize.
“We are delighted to welcome Spirit Airlines to Belize,” said Katharine Beamer, Chargé d’Affaires for the United States Embassy. She went on to comment, “We’re delighted to have more connections between the United States and Belize. I understand that this airline will be offering nonstop service to Fort Lauderdale three times a week. We’re just very excited to bring more Belizeans to the United States for tourism and shopping, and more Americans to Belize to enjoy this beautiful country.”
Spirit Airlines, known for its affordable fares for its passengers in the US and abroad, will be making stops in the Jewel three times a week, as previously mentioned, on Mondays, Fridays, and Saturdays.
“Spirit Airlines is considered an ultra-low-cost carrier, so what it does for us is keep the legacy carriers honest in terms of pricing, and so, it makes it more affordable for people to come to Belize,” said Hon. Anthony Mahler, Minister of Tourism.
“These things often take a long, long time. Sometimes it may take a shorter time, but you need to continue knocking on doors, dialogue, and continue showing your business case why Belize, as a leisure destination, would be an important fit for an airline like Spirit,” he said.
He continued, “Airlift into Belize is the lifeblood of the tourism industry, akin to hotel development; and the more capacity we add, in terms of our air routes into the country, the more people will come in. Our job now is to ensure that we work closely with Spirit Airlines to ensure that these flights are filled.”
