Of the total almost 35 thousand commercial flights registered in 2025 at La Aurora International Airport (AILA)around two thousand corresponded to the low-cost airline Spirit.
Bliss company closed operations as of May 2, 2026by announcing that a US$500 million government rescue agreement in the United States failed, so several effects could now be observed in the market, according to sources consulted.
According to statistics from the General Directorate of Civil Aeronautics (DGAC), in 2025, 34,903 commercial flights were carried out at AILA—between landings and takeoffs—from 16 commercial airlines that operated in Guatemala, and of these, 1,958 were from Spirit (representing 5.6%).
Meanwhile, from January to March 2026, the total number of commercial flights was 8,697, of which 446 (5.1%) were Spirit.
Among the airlines that operate in the country there are several low-cost or low costand four of these have one or more routes to and from the United States, which totaled 7,567 flights in 2025, while in the first quarter of 2026 there were 1,892, where Spirit was one of the main providers.
The average for that airline was 81 monthly arrival flights and the same number of takeoffs, during 2025. In 2026, between January and March—high season months—it reported a similar average, although in February it was lower, due to it being the low season.
Spirit’s main destination from Guatemala was Fort Lauderdale, in Florida, United States, with 548 flights (including round trips) in the full year of 2025, while in the first quarter of 2026 there were 102 flights. Its second destination in number of flights was Orlando, followed by Houston.
The other three low-cost airlines with flights to and from the United States are JetBlue, with 592 flights last year (takeoffs and landings from AILA) from Queens (New York), Fort Lauderdale (Florida) and Newark (New Jersey); Frontier, with flights to Miami, Orlando, Dallas, Houston and Atlanta; and Volaris.
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Volaris had 2,058 flights in 2026, of which 318 were to and from Los Angeles (California), and the rest to Central American countries and several states of Mexico.
What do they observe?
Motty Rodas, executive director of the Guatemalan Airlines Association (Agla), said that until April there were four low-cost lines with flights to and from the United States and Guatemalaand one of these was Spirit. The company offered two flights a day from Guatemala to Fort Lauderdale, but when talking about arrivals and departures there were four, he commented. It also offered several flights a week to other destinations, such as Orlando.
Regarding the effects on rates, both due to the departure of this airline and due to the increase in fuel prices due to the conflict in the Middle East, the board said that it has been explained that the effect of the fuel increase would not be immediate because the companies have reserves, and it is not known how it could affect in the short and medium term. However, when consulted in the long term for the rest of the year, she considers that, if the trend continues, airlines in general could be affected because, in order not to increase the fare too much, they could reduce their profits, absorb losses or, in other cases, increase tickets drastically.
In relation to the departure of the aforementioned airline, he said that he doubts that there will be an increase in ticket prices in the market, because the airlines already have commitments with their customers and will give priority to the tickets that have already been sold. He added that it could be an opportunity for other low-cost airlines to increase their routes or flights, but that in all the points mentioned it is the decision of each of the companies.
Meanwhile, Ronny Rodríguez, director of corporate development for Volaris in Central America, and Esther Brol, coordinator of the Tourism Board of the Guatemala No Se Detiene program, agreed that, by ceasing to operate the Spirit airline, capacity is lost in the so-called ultra-low-cost segment, an aspect that could put upward pressure on rates on specific routes.
Rodríguez explained that the departure of an important competitor like Spirit represents an effect on the Guatemalan market, since it must be remembered that said company was a price disruptor, like low-cost airlines.
Asked about the possible effects, the executive said that When Volaris decided to cancel several routes to Central America, an immediate effect was observed in the market, which has to do with the departure of a competitor that puts downward pressure on fare prices. So, that immediately produces a recomposition of the fare offer, not only of the offer (of flights and seats), but also of the fare offer, he added.
In the case of Guatemala, now with the departure of Spirit, the option of the competitor with the best structure and lower rate structure on very important routes such as the state of Florida is lost, and that frees up the possibility for other competitors to reconfigure their rate offer, he explained.
Rodríguez said that he is unaware of Spirit’s experience, but that in the case of Volaris they experience that around 11% of the people who travel with this airline from Guatemala to Los Angeles are travelers who had never been on a plane.
In the short term, it is foreseeable that airlines that already operate in the country, especially on routes to the United States, seek to absorb part of the demand through adjustments in frequencies or rates, however, the ultra-low-cost segment is not easily replaceable, since it responds to highly specialized operating structures, Brol added. Consider that, rather than a contraction, this type of event usually generates a recomposition of the market.
Meanwhile, Rodríguez mentioned that it could be seen as an opportunity to expand or recompose the routes, but that in the case of Volaris he does not plan to do so immediately.