The fastest growing commercial air carrier at McCarran International Airport in 2011 will have a head start toward keeping that status next year with the announcement of two new flights beginning in February.
Miramar, Fla.-based Spirit Airlines announced today that it would add two flights a day between Las Vegas and Gateway Airport in Mesa, Ariz.
The airline is introducing the route by offering a limited number of $9 one-way fares on its website today and Wednesday.
The 65-minute flights will leave McCarran daily at 9:38 a.m. and 6:05 p.m., with return flights leaving the suburban Phoenix airport daily at 12:23 and 8:50 p.m., beginning Feb. 9. Mesa arrival and departure times will be an hour earlier beginning March 11 when most of the country observes daylight-saving time.
Spirit will compete directly with Las Vegas-based Allegiant Air, which last month began offering six flights a week to Gateway, which formerly was Williams AFB. Spirit will use its twin-engine A319 and A320 jets with 145 and 178 seats, respectively, on the route.
Most passenger air traffic to Phoenix is routed to and from Sky Harbor International Airport. Southwest Airlines, US Airways and Mesa Airlines offer nonstop flights between the Phoenix airport and Las Vegas.
In addition to the Las Vegas service, Spirit announced a daily nonstop flight between Mesa and Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport with continuing service to and from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Spirit’s biggest hub. Those flights begin March 22.
Spirit, an aggressive discount carrier with $9 Club fares, also is known for collecting a number of ancillary fees, including a charge for carry-on bags.