INTERVIEW: Spirit Airlines chief executive Ben Baldanza


"While Baldanza declines to name specific markets Spirit has on its radar, he indicates more flights to Mexico and to smaller US airports are favourable areas of growth: "We see Mexico over time becoming bigger for us."

Besides the upcoming flight from Dallas-Fort Worth to Toluca, Spirit already connects the Mexican airport to Fort Lauderdale. Baldanza believes there is more "Mexican affinity" with Texas and California than with Florida, and says Dallas-Forth Worth has international potential for Mexico and Central America. Most of Spirit's international flying is now out of Fort Lauderdale - it is already selling tickets for 14 routes out of Dallas-Fort Worth."