American low-cost airline Spirit will open a new crew base at George Bush Intercontinental Airport this Autumn. The news comes shortly after the airline opened an aircraft maintenance facility at the hub and will be the third crew base it’s opened this year, after Miami Airport and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Airport.
New Spirit Crew Base
Spirit says the new Houston base will hold around 150 pilots and 300 flight attendants, starting this Autumn, with an undisclosed amount of additional crew, supervisors, and support functions to follow. The new hub will support the airline as it adds new destinations to its route map. Spirit plans to accept 24 new planes this year and a further 33 next year, giving them lots of scope for expansion.
Strategically Placed
Houston is the ideal situation for a new crew base, Spirit says, because of its strategic location within their network. The location of the airport serves both domestic travel and international routes to Central and South America. Passengers from Houston can currently fly to 16 locations within the US, and seven international destinations, including a daily non-stop service to Monterrey, Mexico, due to start later this year.
“Houston is a key international gateway in our flight network, and we greatly appreciate the strong partnership with the city and airport that helped make this opportunity a reality,” said Nick Bartolotta, Vice President of Operations and Crew Planning for Spirit. “This year marks our tenth anniversary in Houston, and it’s the perfect time to celebrate this expansion that will bolster the foundation of our operation as our airline continues to grow,”
Aside from the three new bases opened this year, Spirit has crew hubs in Atlanta (ATL), Atlantic City (ACY), Chicago (ORD), Dallas (DFW), Detroit (DTW), Fort Lauderdale (FLL), Las Vegas (LAS), Miami (MIA) and Orlando (MCO).
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