Spirit Airlines to develop new headquarters in South Florida

Spirit Airlines is planning to build a new headquarters in Dania Beach, Fla., the company announced on Oct. 17. The 500,000-square-foot development will cost $250 million over three years.

It will be constructed at Dania Pointe, a premier mixed-use development that contains 1 million square feet of retail space, as well as restaurants and housing. The airline said it has purchased the land from Kimco Realty.

Upon completion, the development will include corporate offices and a new crew training facility with flight simulators for more streamlined workflow and quick access to the airport. Spirit said the project will make way for future growth of the airline while improving operational efficiency by consolidating its real estate footprint.

“This move will create cost savings compared to what we pay in rent for our current facilities and for hotel rooms used for crew training,” Ted Christie, CEO told Bloomberg in an email. “Not only is this a good decision for our future growth, it alleviates some of the risk moving forward associated with retention, recruiting and future space needs.”

Spirit moved to the South Florida area 20 years ago and is currently headquartered in Miramar, Fla. The development will shift some 1,000 employees to the new Dania Pointe site, located minutes away from Spirit’s largest operating base, Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport.

Spirit intends to move into the new campus by mid-2022.