FORT LAUDERDALE-HOLLYWOOD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, FLA. (WSVN) - Spirit Airlines kicked off new service between Fort Lauderdale and Haiti’s second largest city.
The South Florida airline’s newest destination to Haiti’s second largest city, Cap-Haitien, will connect thousands closer to the island nation.
“We knew there was great news to launch new service to the northern end of Haiti, and Cap-Haitien fits that bill,” said Spirit Senior Vice President Matt Klein.
The inaugural flight took off from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, Thursday morning.
“That’s where I’m from — Cap-Haitien,” said traveler Sophia Ridore. “This flight is very important.”
Before Spirit’s new service, there was only one flight from South Florida to the northern tip of Haiti.
With the airline landing in the market, it’s expected to bring more competition and opportunities, and will also reunite families.
Travelers can take a bus to Cap-Haitien from Port-au-Prince, but that ride takes hours.
“I have my brother who is going to meet me there, so he had to take the bus at midnight,” said traveler Sophia Ridore. “He just got there by 6 a.m., 6:30 a.m. so it’s a long road.”
The new flight will not only be more convenient, but will also help grow the island’s economy.
The Caribbean country is so excited for the new flight that Haitian President Jovenel Moise was on board for the inaugural flight.
“The 300,000 Haitians that live in Miami and Fort Lauderdale, a lot of them are from the north,” he said through a translator. “They’re from the northeast, they’re from the northwest, but they are from the north. Those people, they have the biggest opportunity to come directly.”
“It’s very beneficial for us to get even more airlines coming to Cap-Haitien,” said traveler Malherbe Fuciem. “It’s going to be more people and more people.”
Spirit Airlines is going to be offering flights to Cap-Haitien three times a week, with one-way tickets costing less than $100.
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