Spirit Airlines began its journey into northern Nevada by launching a flight to Reno from Las Vegas recently. The budget carrier has a firm hold on Vegas’ flight schedule, and the Reno flight is one of three recently launched services from Sin City.

Twice-daily service

On August 10th, a Spirit Airlines’ Airbus A320 touched down at Reno-Tahoe International Airport (RNO) for the first time at around 13:00 after a 55-minute inaugural flight from Las Vegas (LAS). It was the first of Spirit’s twice-daily service between Reno-Tahoe International Airport and Harry Reid International Airport.

The route was announced back in March as part of Spirit Airlines’ larger expansion plan and is one of three flights originating from Las Vegas recently – the other two being Boise and Albuquerque services.

When the Reno route was announced earlier this year, John Kirby, vice president of network planning at Spirit, said at the time,

“We’ve had our eye on Reno for a long time. We believe our high value flights will be a very attractive alternative to driving between the cities.”

To introduce the new route, the airline also held a Las Vegas Flyaway contest for passengers, offering two free round-trip tickets to Las Vegas, a three-night stay at Treasure Island, and two tickets to Mystère by Cirque du Soleil to the winner.

Spirit flight between Las Vegas and Reno
The flight lasted for 55 minutes. Photo: FlightRadar24.com

Schedule

The airline offers two daily flights between Vegas and Reno as per the following schedule:

Flight

From

Departure

To

Arrival

NK 2516

Las Vegas (LAS)

11:40

Reno (RNO)

13:03

NK 2517

Reno (RNO)

14:00

Las Vegas (LAS)

15:18

Flight

From

Departure

To

Arrival

NK 2514

Las Vegas (LAS)

18:38

Reno (RNO)

20:02

NK 2515

Reno (RNO)

20:59

Las Vegas (LAS)

22:20

With Spirit’s arrival in Reno, the total number of flights serving the city with a population of a little more than 520,000 has now gone up to 13.

Expansion in the face of losses

Spirit Airlines reported a massive loss for the second quarter of 2022, amounting to $52.4 million. It also saw a 34.9% increase in revenue in the second quarter of 2022 compared to the second quarter of 2019, attributing it to the rise in flight volume and higher yields from flight operations.

Spirit Airlines Airbus A321-231 N684NK Ft Lauderdale Vincenzo Pace
Flap settings impact takeoff performance. Photo: Vincenzo Pace I Simple Flying

But operating costs increased by 66.3%, driven by higher fuel costs, increased wages, additional aircraft, and an increased number of total flights. Despite the sobering numbers, the budget carrier reported positive growth in its margins and remains optimistic that these margins will only continue to grow.

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The airline is also planning to merge with JetBlue Airways for $3.8 billion, a deal that is yet to be approved by the airline’s shareholders and regulators.

What do you feel about Spirit Airlines’ operations out of Las Vegas and its expansion strategy in general? Please leave a comment below.