FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – July 16, 2012, New Orleans – Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport is excited to announce that Spirit Airlines will begin service from New Orleans in January 2013. New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu said, "We are pleased to welcome Spirit Airlines to New Orleans. This is another sign of the airport’s growing momentum and the strength of the New Orleans market. It’s a great opportunity to continue to grow our air service to meet the demands of our citizens, visitors and conventioneers.”

Spirit is an ultra low cost carrier with service to over 50 destinations within the United States, Caribbean, Bahamas and Latin America. Spirit’s innovative approach allows customers to save money by offering ultra low base fares with a range of optional services for a fee. In this way, customers customize their air travel by selecting the extras they value. "We are committed to saving our customers money on travel by offering them the lowest fares,” said Spirit’s Senior Director of Sales Michael Pewther. "We’re excited to offer travelers our popular ultra low fares to New Orleans just in time for many of 2013’s premier events and festivals. And now travelers from New Orleans have easy access to the same super low fares that our growing customer following has come to know and love.”

Spirit will begin with daily non-stop service from New Orleans International to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport on January 24, 2013. Spirit operates one of the newest fleets of Airbus aircraft in the Americas, and plans to start service at Armstrong International Airport with either an Airbus A319 (145-seat aircraft) or Airbus A320 (178-seat aircraft).

"The New Orleans Aviation Board is pleased that Spirit Airlines recognizes the value in adding our airport and City to its diverse network that spans cities throughout the United States and a significant number of international destinations,” said Board Chairman Nolan V. Rollins. "Spirit Airlines is an excellent complement to our diverse airline mix at New Orleans International providing an ultra low cost option for our community,” added Airport Executive Director Iftikhar Ahmad.

Spirit’s planned daily flight schedule is:

Origin Destination Departure Arrival

MSY DFW 1:35pm 3:05pm

DFW MSY 11:20am 12:45pm

Reservations can be made by calling 1-800-772-7117 or on the web at www.spirit.com.

The Armstrong International Airport continues outreach efforts with airlines now serving the New Orleans market as well as those who potentially could serve it to deliver the message that New Orleans continues to be a vibrant city with a growing demand for air service. Since May 2010, two (2) new airlines, Frontier and Air Canada, began service in New Orleans. A total of three (3) new destinations were added, including San Francisco, Toronto and Milwaukee and the level of service increased to many other cities. The Armstrong International Airport is also completing $356 Million in various capital improvements in time for Super Bowl 2013, including construction of a Consolidated Car Rental Facility and renovation of the interior and exterior of the terminal facility.