Ultra-low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines has announced this week that it will begin flying out of Pittsburgh International Airport in May 2017.

Non-stop flights will initially be offered to Dallas/Fort Worth; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; Fort Lauderdale and Orlando, Florida; Las Vegas; Houston’s Bush International Airport; and Los Angeles.

Daily flights to Dallas/Fort Worth and Myrtle Beach will commence on May 25, 2017, while Spirit will fly three times weekly to Fort Lauderdale beginning on June 15.

On June 22, the airline will begin offering daily flights from Pittsburgh to Orlando and Las Vegas, and daily flights to Houston and Los Angeles will start on July 13.

“This new service complements Spirit’s existing service from Latrobe (Arnold Palmer Regional Airport), and will help us provide even more ultra-low fare options from western Pennsylvania,” says Mark Kopczak, vice president of network planning for Spirit Airlines.

Local officials welcomed the arrival of Spirit, which offers low base fares but charges a la carte fees for most basic services, such as carry-on luggage, and imposes hefty penalties for services not booked in advance.

“We’re proud that the airport has seen an 80 per cent increase in non-stop destinations in the past two years,” says Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald.

“Its growth matches the renaissance of our region, and we’re delighted to have Spirit join us in those gains.”

Pittsburgh was once a major hub for US Airways, but service was significantly cut back after the airline merged with American Airlines in 2013.

spirit.com