On Saturday, September 19th, Spirit Airlines will be the first international arrival in Colombia as the country reopens its international borders. The American low-cost carrier will be flying from Fort Lauderdale to Cartagena, with more Colombian destinations to follow.

Spirit Airlines will be the first international arrival in Colombia

With Colombia reopening its borders, Spirit Airlines will be resuming nonstop flights from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) to Cartagena's Rafael Núñez International Airport (CTG) on Saturday, September 19th. This will make the airline the first to operate an international flight to the South American country.

President and CEO of Spirit Airlines, Ted Christie, stated the following:

"Being the first airline arriving to Colombia from abroad is a reminder of how strong our commitment to the country continues to be. Reuniting Guests with their loved ones, now that the borders are reopening, is the best gift we can give them. We've been looking forward to returning to Colombia, and we thank the government there for its constant support and collaboration."

Spirit Colombia
Colombia is one of the airline's most important international destinations. Photo: Spirit Airlines

With the first international commercial arrival on September 19th, Spirit Airlines will continue to grow its services to Colombia. From Fort Lauderdale, the airline plans to resume flights to Bogota, Medellin, and Cali starting from September 21st. Spirit will be beating local airline Avianca for the first international arrival. Avianca, however, is undergoing a restructuring.

Colombia requires passengers traveling to the country to present a negative PCR test no more than 96 hours before the stipulated time of travel. Passengers should also register at Colombia's official immigration page before the flight, which can be done between 24 hours and one hour before the trip. For other entry restrictions and travel guidelines, visit the Colombian government's website or check with your embassy.

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Spirit Airlines has still been flying to and from Colombia

Spirit Airlines has continued to fly to and from Colombia since the country shut down its borders. Working with the US Embassy in Bogota and the Colombian government, the airline ran an impressive schedule of repatriations departing from cities like Bogota, Cartagena, Medellin, and Cali.

Spirit airlines A321
Spirit's exposure in Latin America should be a benefit for the airline. Photo: Getty Images

Spirit Airlines in Colombia

Spirit Airlines flies to more cities in Colombia from the United States than any other airline. Before the current crisis hit and Colombia shut its borders, the airline flew to Cartagena, Bogota, Medellin, Armenia, and Cali with new flights to Bucaramanga and Barranquilla still on the books. In the last 12 years of Spirit serving Colombia, the airline has flown nearly three million people between the US and Colombia.

Spirit Airlines, Biometric Check-in, Chicago, New York
Co-branded credit cards are available for both US and some Latin American customers. Photo: Getty Images

Spirit flies Airbus A320ceo and A320neo family aircraft. The airline offers a "Big Front Seat" product. The seat itself is very similar to a domestic first class product, though with no frills in a 2-2 configuration. On a long flight down to Colombia, that could be an excellent way to bide the time. Beyond that, as a low-cost carrier, other frills such as pre-assigned seats, baggage, priority boarding, snacks, and more come at a cost. However, the base fare of the flight is usually lower than most other airlines.

Are you going to fly Spirit Airlines to or from Colombia? Let us know in the comments!