OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) — Spirit Airlines has announced its departure from the Bay Area, saying it is halting flights to both San Jose and Oakland airports by the first week of October.
The low-cost carrier told ABC7 News in a statement:
“As a part of our efforts to transform our business and position Spirit for long-term success, we are adjusting our network to focus on our strongest performing markets.”
While the airline is stopping routes from San Jose Airport too, it’s Oakland Airport that is likely to be the most impacted.
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Clint Henderson, a travel expert for The Points Guy, says OAK has seen a steady decline in the number of airlines serving it for the past 10 years.
“These things tend to feed on themselves and I think a lot of the traffic has shifted to SFO,” Henderson said. “The more flights you have, the more popular you get, the more people who get in and out of the airport.”
OAK had a more positive tone, telling ABC7 News that Spirit only represented less than 3% of recent seat availability and daily flights.
“We are confident that travelers can be accommodated by our current carriers to the remaining cities that Spirit served,” the airport said.
Spirit Airlines has faced financial hardship for years, and recently filed for bankruptcy for the second time amid an increasingly competitive aviation industry.
“When the mainline airlines introduced basic economy, that really upended the business model for low cost carriers,” Henderson said. “So they’ve been trying to pivot, but Spirit has not been able to pivot quickly enough.”
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ABC7 News caught up with several travelers at Oakland Airport who say they’re disappointed.
“This is the closest airport to where I live, it’s convenient, it’s easy to get to and I hate San Francisco Airport,” April Brown said.
Many in the terminal said it’s not just the convenience but also the affordability of Spirit that they’ll miss.
“I’m going to Atlanta for like $80, so that’s chill honestly I’m not going to lie,” Noemi Guevara said. “Because if I’d have went Delta or anybody else it would’ve been $150-200.”
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