Spirit Airlines to Buy Air Jamaica

If you're like me, the first thought you had when you read the headline above was, "But doesn't Spirit already fly to Jamaica?" The answer, of course, is yes—Spirit currently serves Montego Bay and Kingston, and a quick look at Air Jamaica's route map shows a lot of overlap with Spirit's existing service. So why, then, would the ultra-low-cost carrier want to buy Air Jamaica? We'll have to wait to find out, because for now, Spirit isn't offering any information. In fact, the deal isn't official yet. Ben Mutzabaugh reports that, if the purchase goes through, Air Jamaica may be renamed as Spirit of Jamaica. But at the very least, Spirit would solidify its presence in the Caribbean simply by purchasing a competitor and taking over its routes, even if the acquisition doesn't represent an expansion of Spirit's existing service.