Frontier Announces First-Ever Flights to South America

Frontier will launch nonstop Orlando flights to Bogotá, Medellín and Cartagena in December, its first South America service and a pickup of former Spirit routes.

Frontier Airlines announced its first-ever service to South America: three nonstop routes from Orlando International Airport to Colombia, launching in December 2026. Flights to Medellín begin December 10 (daily), Bogotá on December 14 (six times weekly, going daily from March 6, 2027), and Cartagena on December 19 (weekly), all subject to government approval. Introductory fares start at $99 to Bogotá, $129 to Cartagena and $169 to Medellín, bookable through September 16 for travel from January 14 to April 5, 2027, with blackout dates of March 23–30, 2027.

The Points Guy notes all three routes were once served by Spirit Airlines, the former ultra-low-cost leader in Colombia whose collapse earlier this year left a clear gap for budget travelers. "There are opportunities to pick off markets that they've obviously exited, now, over the coming year or two," Frontier CEO James Dempsey told The Points Guy in July. The airline frames the move as answering "strong, unmet demand for low-cost travel between Orlando and Colombia," according to vice president Tyri Squyres.

Simple Flying, citing OAG Traffic Analyzer booking data, reports about 530,000 round-trip passengers traveled between Orlando and Colombia in 2025, with Bogotá accounting for 227,000 local round-trip passengers — the second-largest US market to the Colombian capital after Miami's 569,000. Simple Flying also calculates that Spirit's last year of Cartagena service saw only 67.8% of seats filled, and argues Frontier's once-weekly frequency there should be easier to fill than Spirit's two to three weekly flights.

AeroXplorer reports the entry could push prices down across the board, since additional competition on popular routes often leads existing carriers such as Avianca, American, JetBlue and Copa to adjust fares. It cautions that Frontier's ultra-low-cost model covers only a seat and a personal item, so carry-ons, checked bags and seat selection cost extra — travelers should compare total costs. Simple Flying adds that Frontier will face head-to-head competition with Avianca on the Medellín route and with Avianca and LATAM to Bogotá, while its weekly Cartagena flight faces no direct rival.

The announcement comes days after Frontier confirmed it is fully exiting New York's JFK airport next month, The Points Guy notes, underscoring a network pivot toward international growth. Simple Flying's OAG data shows Frontier's international flights beyond the US border are down 10% year-over-year in 2026, even as total flights grew 11% to a record 49.2 million seats, making the Colombian routes a notable counterweight. In December, Simple Flying reports Frontier plans 42 international routes from 15 airports, with Orlando now its most-served facility by route count.

Executives hint this is not the end of the expansion. Frontier CEO James Dempsey told The Points Guy in July that more former Spirit markets could be added "over the coming year or two," and AeroXplorer reports that if the Colombia flights perform well, the carrier could add more Colombian cities or expand to other countries in the region.