The airlines that will absorb the demand left by Spirit in the Dominican Republic

The president of the Civil Aviation Board (  JAC  ),  Héctor Porcella, assured that Spirit Airlines  ‘ departure from the Dominican market has a «moderate» impact on the supply of low-cost flights, because the routes will continue to be covered by other operators.

I have explained that the low-cost market in  the Dominican Republic  is being handled by  Frontier, Southwest Airlines , the Dominican airline  Arajet,  and  JetBlue , which I have defined as «moderately low cost.»

“At this time, the immediate impact of Spirit’s departure in the country can be described as moderate, since it is never healthy for our sector when airlines, for whatever reason, cancel one or more routes,” he said.

He indicated that Spirit is leaving the market after the failure of a $500 million rescue deal in the United States, but maintained that the routes it operated between both nations will continue to be served by other companies.

During 2025, Spirit Airlines transported 470,147 passengers, accounting for 4% of the 10,153,116 passengers transported between the Dominican Republic and Washington , DC In destinations such as  Florida, Philadelphia, Boston, Newark , and  Baltimore , it accounted for 20%.

“We can deduce that this percentage can be quickly absorbed by the airlines that remain operating the routes described,” he stated.

Regarding the possibility of an increase in airfare prices after Spirit’s departure and the reduction of competition in the low-cost segment, Porcella explained that the airline projected offering 276,000 seats for arrivals and departures by 2026, which will be taken over by other companies.

Porcella indicated that one of the areas where Spirit had the greatest presence was  Fort Lauderdale , where it held between 10% and 20% of the market, according to Acento.

He also explained that on the Philadelphia-Punta Cana route, Spirit ended 2025 with a 20% market share, although by the first quarter of 2026, it had reduced its presence to 1%, with American Airlines  and Frontier Airlines being the main operators on that route.

Regarding the Fort Lauderdale-Santiago route, I noted that Spirit was the market leader last year, but by 2026, its share had dropped to 61%, while JetBlue’s rose to 39%.

The airlines that are filling Spirit’s gap

Porcella indicated that Spirit had been increasing its operations in the Dominican Republic since 2022.

However, he explained that the volume of passengers from Florida, Philadelphia, Boston, Newark, and Baltimore to the different Dominican airports, the movement of passengers on those routes had remained stable.

• JetBlue
• Frontier
• Southwest Airlines
• Dominican airlines
• American Airlines

Although I have clarified that this American does not belong to the low-cost segment, it could also assume the air connectivity that Spirit offered.