U.S. low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines has delayed the introduction of flights to the new Tulum airport, which were supposed to begin this spring.
The flights were scheduled to depart from both Orlando International Airport and Tampa International Airport starting on March 28.
In October, Spirit unveiled plans to offer nonstop flights to Tulum’s recently opened Felipe Carrillo Puerto International Airport. However, the airline has since confirmed to Travel + Leisure magazine that the flights are currently on hold due to ongoing issues with engines on 26 of its aircraft.
“We are postponing the start date of our Tulum (TQO) service as we continue to manage operational constraints related to Pratt & Whitney GTF engine availability,” a spokesperson from Spirit Airlines said in a statement to T+L.
“This new issue is yet another frustrating and disappointing development,” Spirit Airlines CEO Ted Christie told investors, according to Reuters.
“We apologize to our guests for any inconvenience, and we’re reaching out to those with impacted travel plans to offer alternate flight options or a refund,” Spirit told T+L. “We look forward to the opportunity to serve Tulum in the future and will share more once we have an updated schedule.”
Spirit did not share a timetable for when the flights to Tulum could begin.
Tulum airport opened to domestic flights on Dec. 1, 2023, and will welcome international flights in just a few weeks.
Delta Airlines was the first U.S. airline to announce daily nonstop flights to the new airport from Atlanta International Airport (ATL), followed by Spirit Airlines, United, American Airlines, and JetBlue. In December, Air Canada also announced direct flights from Montreal and Toronto.
With reports from Travel + Leisure, Simple Flying, Reuters, and Bloomberg
