Spirit Airlines adds small Georgia airport with first route in new airline pact

Spirit Airlines will fly to Middle Georgia Regional Airport (MCN) in Macon, Georgia, as the first destination under its new partnership with regional carrier Contour Airlines.

The airline will offer twice-weekly flights between Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) and MCN on an Airbus A320-family aircraft beginning Oct. 16, Spirit said Thursday. Introductory airfares begin at $49.99 one-way.

As part of the pact, Contour will handle ground services for Spirit at MCN.

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Contour already serves MCN twice daily from Dulles International Airport (IAD) near Washington, D.C., subsidized under the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Essential Air Service program, schedule data from aviation analytics firm Cirium shows.

MCN will become Spirit’s third city in Georgia, joining Atlanta and Savannah. The new MCN-FLL route is also the first under the partnership with Contour, unveiled in May. The airlines touted the pact as a way to expand air connectivity to “underserved communities across the country.” Spirit will add flights to Contour’s EAS markets across the U.S. from “major leisure destinations,” and Contour will provide ground services and cross-market the new flights.

The tie-up is Spirit’s first since it emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy in March. The airline slashed debt and shrank its fleet through the restructuring that followed its failed attempt to merge with JetBlue.

Spirit is a significantly smaller airline following its restructuring. The airline flew nearly a fifth fewer seats during the first six months of 2025 than it did last year, according to Cirium.

Contour serves 23 EAS and small communities across the U.S., including MCN, Cirium schedules show. Others include Barkley Regional Airport (PAH) in Paducah, Kentucky; Canyonlands Regional Airport (CNY) in Moab, Utah; and Shenandoah Valley Airport (SHD) in Weyers Cave, Virginia.

However, the Spirit-Contour pact does not include any tie-up between the airlines and Spirit’s Free Spirit loyalty program.

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