Spirit to add daily routes from BWI to Atlanta, Los Angeles

Spirit Airlines will begin nonstop daily service from BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport to Los Angeles and Atlanta this summer, continuing its ongoing growth at the Anne Arundel County airport since 2012.

Spirit, which bills itself as an "ultra-low cost" airline but adds additional fees for optional services such as checked bags, will start its daily roundtrip service to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on June 18, BWI officials said Tuesday. The first flight from Los Angeles International Airport to BWI will begin July 9, with the first flight to Los Angeles on July 10.

Spirit first began its growth at BWI in September 2012, when it shifted its regional hub from Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington to BWI and launched flights to two destinations, Fort Lauderdale and Dallas-Fort Worth.

Atlanta and Los Angeles bring the airline's total number of BWI flight routes to nine.

"We welcome these new flights, which will provide our customers with more low fares and more travel options," said Paul J. Wiedefeld, BWI's CEO, in a statement.

The airline also announced additional city connections via LAX and ATL on Tuesday.

So far this year, Spirit has announced 37 new routes nationwide.

krector@baltsun.com

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