Atlantic City International Airport. (Credit: South Jersey Transportation Authority)
A day after Spirit Airlines announced it may be forced to cease operations within a year due to growing financial woes, a rival airline announced it would start service between several Florida cities – including Ft. Lauderdale – to one of Spirit’s busiest destinations from South Florida.
Allegiant Airlines announced it would begin service from Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) to Atlantic City International Airport (ACY) on Dec. 5, 2025.
For many South Florida snowbirds and vacationers from southern New Jersey, ACY is a lifeline, providing a link to a key northeast market that is located hours from the larger Newark-Liberty International Airport, which has been plagued with delays and runway traffic limitations due to nagging issues with its air traffic control infrastructure and staffing levels. The Jersey Shore is also served by Philadelphia International Airport, which has drawn concern from some travelers over safety issues in parking decks following a recent wave of vehicle thefts and violent crime.
Spirit, meanwhile, is the only carrier that provides scheduled passenger service to or from ACY after routes operated by Air Canada, AirTran, WestJet, and United Express were established and canceled over the years. While notionally offering “service” to Atlantic City, American Airlines currently offers only a bus from Philadelphia, where it operates a hub, the ACY terminal; no American flights arrive or depart from ACY.
Allegiant, an ultra-low-cost carrier based in Las Vegas, will offer service between ACY and FLL beginning Dec. 5, 2025; St. Petersburg-Clearwater (PIE) beginning Presidents’ Day Weekend 2026; Sanford-Orlando (SFB) beginning Presidents’ Day Weekend 2026; and Punta Gorda (PGD) beginning Presidents’ Day Weekend 2026.
“The collaboration between Allegiant Air and Atlantic City International Airport will benefit travelers, tourism and our business community for many years to come,” said South Jersey Transportation Authority Executive Director Stephen F. Dougherty. “By continuing to expand travel options, we will welcome more visitors to experience all that South Jersey has to offer and will continue to strengthen the economic vitality of our region and the entire state.”
The announcement came just one day after Spirit Airlines announced to investors that it may run out of funds and cease its ability to operate as a going concern within 12 months. The two discount carriers offer similar service and pricing, but will soon operate service on different airframes. Spirit operates an all-Airbus fleet consisting of A320-family models, while Allegiant is in the process of retiring some of its Airbus fleet (A320-200) by the end of 2025 in favor of new Boeing 737 MAX 7 airframes and a higher-density variant of the 737 MAX 8 known as the MAX 200.
The Atlantic City flights have already been added to the carrier’s website for bookings.
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