Spirit Airlines plans to move its operational control center from Miramar, Fla., to Tennessee by early 2021.
The airline said the move will involve the transfer of more than 240 jobs at the center, which controls the operations of more than 650 daily flights, including those serving passengers at Pittsburgh International Airport and Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in Unity. The center’s staff is responsible for flight dispatch, crew scheduling, maintenance control, aircraft routing and air traffic control coordination.
The relocation to an $11 million, 49,000-square-foot facility in Tennessee’s Williamson County, south of Nashville, is expected to “bolster network resiliency and reduce hurricane and tropical storm risk,” Spirit officials said in a news release.
“Hurricanes were only one factor,” said Erik Hofmeyer, manager of media relations for Spirit. “Others were the (control center) growing along with our fleet, and it’s a great location because we recently entered the Nashville market.”
Spirit began serving Nashville in October with nonstop flights to six destinations and has announced four more pending destinations. Coinciding with the low-cost carrier’s plan to double its fleet to about 300 aircraft over the next five years, it intends to add nearly 100 positions at the operational control center over the same period.
Meanwhile, Spirit held a groundbreaking ceremony last month for a new $250 million corporate campus in Dania Beach, Fla., which will place its headquarters closer to its largest operating base, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.
In 2022, about 1,000 employees are expected to move from Miramar to the new campus, which will occupy up to 500,000 square feet and include a new crew training facility with flight simulators and a corporate training residence. Spirit plans to add 225 jobs at the corporate campus.
Spirit offers nonstop flights from Arnold Palmer Regional to Myrtle Beach, S.C., and Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers and Orlando in Florida. The airline’s nonstop flights from Pittsburgh head to the same Florida destinations, as well as to Tampa, Las Vegas and Los Angeles.
Jeff Himler is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Jeff at 724-836-6622, [email protected] or via Twitter .
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