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Spirit Airlines

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For other uses, see Spirit Airlines (disambiguation).

Spirit Airlines
IATA ICAO Call sign
NK NKS SPIRIT WINGS
Founded1983; 41 years ago (1983)
(as Charter One Airlines)
Commenced operations
  • 1990; 34 years ago (1990)
    (as Charter One Airlines)
  • May 29, 1992; 32 years ago (1992-05-29)
    (as Spirit Airlines)
AOC #GTIA770S[1]
Operating bases
Frequent-flyer programFree Spirit[3]
Fleet size202[citation needed]
Destinations91[4]
Traded as
HeadquartersDania Beach, Florida, U.S.
Key peopleTed Christie (President & CEO)
RevenueIncrease US$5.07 billion (2022)[5]
Operating incomeDecrease US$−599 million (2022)[5]
Net incomeDecrease US$−554 million (2022)[5]
Total assetsIncrease US$9.18 billion (2022)[5]
Total equityDecrease US$1.57 billion (2022)[5]
Employees11,000 (2023)[5]
Websitewww.spirit.com

Spirit Airlines, Inc. is an ultra-low cost airline headquartered in Dania Beach, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. Spirit operates scheduled flights throughout the United States, the Caribbean, and Latin America. Spirit was the seventh largest passenger carrier in North America as of 2023, as well as the largest ultra-low-cost carrier in North America. Spirit filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in November 2024.

History

[edit]

Establishment and early history

[edit]

The company started as Clippert Trucking Company in 1964.[6][7] In 1974, the company changed its name to Ground Air Transfer, Inc. In 1983, the airline service was founded in Macomb County, Michigan, by Ned Homfeld as Charter One Airlines, a Detroit-based charter tour operator providing travel packages to entertainment destinations such as Atlantic City, Las Vegas, and the Bahamas.[6]

1990s

[edit]

In May 1992, Charter One brought jet aircraft into the fleet and changed its name to Spirit Airlines.[6][8] Scheduled flights between Detroit and Atlantic City began on June 1, 1992.[8] Scheduled flights between Boston and Providence began on June 15, 1992.[8]

In April 1993, Spirit Airlines began scheduled service to Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, and St. Petersburg, Florida.[8] Flights between Atlantic City and Fort Myers, Florida, began in September 1993.[9] Service at Philadelphia began in 1994.[10] During the next five years, Spirit expanded further, increasing service from Detroit and adding service in new markets such as Myrtle Beach, Los Angeles, and New York City.

In the summer of 1994, Spirit Airlines overbooked flights, and 1,400 customers' tickets were canceled.[11] The overbooking occurred because Spirit Airlines had given incorrect instructions to travel agents, causing those tickets not to be valid, even though the customers had paid for the flights.[11] In response to criticism, Spirit Airlines said it would make sure all paid customers would always be able to fly to their destination, even if Spirit Airlines had to book them on a competitor's airline.[11]

In 1996, Janet Patton became Spirit Airlines' first female pilot.[12] In 1998, she became the first female captain.[12] At the time, Spirit was utilizing DC-9[13] and MD-80 aircraft.[citation needed]

Spirit initially had their headquarters in the Kennedy Building located in Eastpointe, Michigan, formerly East Detroit, in Metro Detroit.[14] It relocated its headquarters in December 1999, moving to Miramar, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area.[6][15] Prior to the decision to move the headquarters to Miramar, Spirit considered Atlantic City, New Jersey, and Detroit, Michigan.[16]

An old Spirit livery on a DC-9

2000s

[edit]

In 2000, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) fined Spirit Airlines $67,000 for violating federal regulations on cabin and seat markings and placards.[17] Discrepancies were found in the marking and placarding of emergency equipment, passenger seats, storage areas and doors on eight of Spirit's DC9 and MD80 aircraft.[18][19]

In November 2001, Spirit inaugurated service to San Juan, Puerto Rico. They implemented a fully integrated Spanish-language customer service plan, including a website and dedicated reservation line.[20]

In the fall of 2003, Spirit resumed flights to Washington, D.C.'s Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, which were suspended after the September 11 attacks. Spirit began service to Grand Cayman, San Francisco, and Boston in 2006. In 2007, Spirit filed DOT applications to offer service to Costa Rica, Haiti, the Netherlands Antilles, and Venezuela.[citation needed]

In January 2005, Ben Baldanza was hired as the President of Spirit, with the goal of making the company profitable. In 2006, following an investment by Indigo Partners, Baldanza was elevated to the CEO role and held the position for 10 years. This included a complete transformation of the business model and a public offering in 2011.

In 2006, Spirit exercised options to order 30 Airbus A320-200 aircraft for further expansion. Deliveries began in March 2010.[citation needed]

In June 2008, Spirit Airlines made a WARN (Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notice) application to potentially relocate or lay off hundreds of pilots and flight attendants, and the closure of their San Juan and LaGuardia crew bases.[21] In September 2008, Spirit began placing advertisements on the side of aircraft, overhead bins, tray tables, seatback inserts and bulkheads.[22]

In May 2009, after more than four years of inconclusive negotiations between the airline and the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), Spirit pilots overwhelmingly (98% of votes) voted in favor of strike action over compensation, work rules, and benefits. At that time, Spirit pilots were among the lowest-paid Airbus pilots in the United States. On June 12, 2010, Spirit grounded its flights when its unionized pilots walked out on strike, stranding thousands of passengers. This was the first passenger airline strike by American ALPA-represented pilots since Comair in 2001.[23][24]

On June 15, negotiations between the airline and ALPA resumed. A tentative agreement was reached late in the evening on June 16. The tentative agreement, which Spirit pilots later ratified by a 74%,[25] brought Spirit pilots' compensation and benefits in line with comparable Airbus operators in the US. Flights resumed on June 18.[26]

In 2007, Spirit Plus was rebranded as "Big Front Seat" and business class service was discontinued. For an additional fee, a person could choose "Big Front Seat", or upgrade at the airport. In December 2010, Spirit Airlines introduced the Free Spirit World MasterCard.[27]

A Spirit MD-83 at Los Angeles International Airport.

2010s

[edit]

In April 2010, Spirit Airlines became the first U.S. airline to charge passengers for carry-on bags.[28] They were later followed by Allegiant Air and Frontier Airlines.[29]

In April 2012, Spirit refused to refund a terminally ill American military veteran, who had purchased a non-refundable ticket between Florida and Atlantic City before receiving orders from his doctor not to fly.[30][31] The decision caused outrage among veterans' groups and the general public, some of whom threatened to boycott Spirit unless both a refund and apology were issued. In May, Spirit CEO Ben Baldanza apologized for how the situation was handled and personally refunded the man's ticket. The airline made a $5,000 donation to the Wounded Warrior Project in his name.[32]

In August 2013, Spirit reached an agreement on a new five-year deal with the Transport Workers Union of America, who represent the airline's flight dispatchers.[33]

In November 2014, Morgan Stanley named Spirit the top growth airline pick for investors.[34]

In January 2016, former AirTran CEO Robert L. Fornaro replaced Baldanza as CEO.[35] This prompted rumors of a merger with Frontier Airlines,[36] which would have created the largest ultra-low-cost carrier in the Americas.[37] Fornaro announced the airline would be teaming up with the Disney Institute to "create a common purpose and a fresh set of service standards", and changing policies internally to create a more welcoming environment.[38]

In November 2017, Spirit's on-time performance was second in the country, behind only Delta Air Lines, a significant improvement from December 2015, when it ranked last among thirteen airlines with 68.7% of flights arriving on time.[39] In February 2018, Spirit was the only airline in North America to make the list of the top 10 safest in the world.[40]

In May 2018, Spirit announced that they would be the first ultra-low-cost carrier to fit their aircraft with high-speed WiFi access that started in the fall of 2018. All of their aircraft were expected to be equipped with WiFi by summer 2019.[41]

In October 2019, Spirit Airlines announced plans to move their headquarters to Dania Beach, Florida. The new complex was planned to be around 500,000 square feet and will be equipped with flight simulators. The plans were changed in 2021 for the 6-story headquarters to be around 180,222 square feet, the training facility to be around 100,000 square feet and the parking garage to have 998 spaces.[42]

In December 2019, Spirit Airlines announced its intention to purchase 100 new Airbus A320neo family aircraft.[43]

COVID-19

[edit]

In 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Spirit Airlines received $334 million in aid in the form of grants and loans via the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES). The money was used to fund employees until September 30. In July 2020, the company announced that it would put 20–30% of its employees on leave of absence in October.[44] In August, some pilots and flight attendants agreed to take a voluntary leave of absence or have their work schedule temporarily reduced to avoid layoffs.[45]

In July 2020, a passenger died of COVID-19 on a Spirit Airlines flight.[46] Spirit Airlines claimed it notified the Centers for Disease Control but there was no record of the contact. Passengers on the flight were not informed that they were around an infected individual.[46]

2022 to 2024 attempted mergers

[edit]

In February 2022, Frontier Airlines announced its intention to acquire Spirit, pending regulatory approval, with Frontier Airlines stock as the surviving entity.[47] The deal would make the combined airline the fifth largest airline in the U.S.[48][49] In July 2022, Spirit's shareholders rejected Frontier's offer.[50]

In April 2022, JetBlue proposed to acquire Spirit for $33 per share in cash, equivalent to $3.6 billion.[51][52] In May, Spirit said its board of directors has decided not to consider JetBlue's proposal. According to Spirit Airlines, JetBlue's proposed acquisition would be unlikely to be approved by the U.S. Department of Justice's Antitrust Division, because it would likely believe that an ultra-low-cost carrier being purchased by a higher-fare airline would increase fares for consumers. Spirit noted that the Antitrust Division is looking into JetBlue's strategic partnership with American Airlines for the same reason.[53]

In July–August 2022, Spirit's inflight Internet service, provided by Thales' FlytLIVE, transitioned to a new satellite to provide "the fastest Wi-Fi service of any US-based airline". The SES-17 high-throughput satellite from operator SES provides A320 and A321 passengers across all Spirit routes with connection speeds of up to 400 Mbit/s throughout their flight.[54][55][56]

In July 2022, JetBlue reached an agreement to purchase Spirit for $33.50 per share, with additional inducements for Spirit shareholders.[57][58] The deal would have made the unified company the fifth-largest airline based in the United States.[58] Spirit shareholders voted to approve the deal.[59] The Department of Justice sued to block the deal,[60] alleging that the merger would result in "higher fares, fewer seats, and harm millions of consumers".[61][62] The trial began in October 2023.[63] Following a trial, a federal judge blocked JetBlue's acquisition of Spirit Airlines on January 16, 2024, citing that the deal was anticompetitive towards other airline corporations and would harm consumers. As a result, Spirit Airlines' stock fell by approximately 47%, and the airline expressed concern over its future. Speculators predicted that Spirit may have to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection followed by a liquidation process if the airline could not come up with a growth plan.[64][65][66] However, on January 18, Spirit denied these speculations, stating that the company has no plans to file for bankruptcy and is currently looking for new plans to maintain its future.[67] JetBlue ended its takeover attempt on March 4, 2024, after a federal judge ruled the move would reduce competition.[68]

In November 2024, Frontier Airlines ended plans to merge with Spirit Airlines, and Spirit announced it would be preparing to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection within weeks. The company's stock dropped over 50% and it will not reveal quarterly results as a result of the announcement.[69]

On November 18, 2024, Spirit Airlines filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, listing assets and liabilities between $1 billion and $10 billion. The company blamed mounting losses, failed merger agreements, increasing debt, and high competition. The company will continue to operate throughout the bankruptcy, and expects to emerge by the beginning of 2025. As a result of the bankruptcy filing, Spirit Airlines will be delisted from the NYSE.[70][71]

Corporate affairs

[edit]
Airline statistics by year
Year Turnover ($m) Net profit ($m) Employees
(FTE)[a] 		Passengers
(m) 		Passenger load factor (%) Aircraft[b]
2014[72][73] 1,932 225 3,722 14.3 86.7 65
2015[72][74] 2,141 317 4,326 17.9 84.7 79
2016[72][74] 2,320 263 5,159 21.6 84.7 95
2017[72] 2,644 416 6,100 24.2 83.1 112
2018[72] 3,323 156 7,110 29.3 83.9 128
2019[75] 3,831 335 8,938 34.5 84.4 145
2020[76] 1,810 −429 8,756 18.4 69.7 157
2021[77] 3,230 −473 9,218 30.8 78.8 173
2022[77] 5,068 −554 11,107 38.5 81.9 194
2023[78] 5,362 −447 12,798 44.1 81.3 205

Ownership

[edit]

Spirit Airlines, Inc., is a Delaware corporation[72] that is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: SAVE).

Headquarters

[edit]

Spirit has its headquarters at 2800 Executive Way, Miramar, Florida.[72] It moved there from its previous Eastpointe location in 1999. As of 2016 there were 600 employees located in the office. Chris Sloan of Airways Magazine stated that the building was "nondescript low slung".[79] Sloan added that the interior, prior to a 2014 renovation, was, "To put it charitably, [...] a dump", but that employees felt ownership over the office.[79]

In 2019 the airline announced that it would move to a new headquarters of up to 500,000-square-foot (46,000 m2) in the Dania Pointe development in Dania Beach, Florida, spending $250 million. The airline anticipates that it will house 1,000 employees.[80] This headquarters opened for business in August of 2024 located in the Dania Pointe complex.

Business model

[edit]

Under CEO Ben Baldanza, Spirit began a transition to an ultra-low-cost carrier, following a fare model involving charging for amenities that are often included in the base ticket price of traditional carriers. Passengers who wanted to customize their itinerary or seat selection paid an add-on fee for each additional feature, which enabled the carrier to earn ancillary revenue in excess of 40% of total revenue.[81] These included having an agent print a boarding pass at check-in versus doing it online or at a kiosk,[82] for any large carry-on or checked bags, progressive fees for overweight bags, selected seat assignments, travel insurance, and more.[83]

Controversy

[edit]

Spirit Airlines has been the subject of numerous complaints, and to punitive actions by the United States Department of Transportation (DOT). Most of the claims against the company were for allegations of deceptive advertising practices, customer service, and the airline's policies for charging additional fees at the time of purchase:

  • In November 2011, the DOT fined Spirit $43,900 for alleged deceptive advertising practices. The complaint claimed that the airline had been running an advertising campaign which promoted specific discounted fares on billboards, posters, and Twitter, but did not disclose full details regarding extra fees added onto the advertised rates.[84][85]
  • In January 2012, the DOT fined Spirit $100,000 for mishandling of complaints related to its treatment of customers with disabilities.[86][87]
  • In 2013, and 2015, the DOT received more passenger complaints about Spirit than any other airline. The rate of complaints was "dramatically higher" than the overall rate for the industry.[88][89]
  • In February 2018, a 21 year old girl flushed her hamster down an airport bathroom, after the company refused to let her take the hamster on the flight. The passenger was misinformed by a reservation representative that she could bring the emotional support animal. She claimed that a flight attendant suggested that she flush the hamster down the toilet. The airline spokesperson said that nobody had told her or suggested that she flush the hamster down the toilet. This is not the only incident, because the month prior, a peacock was denied entry on a United Airlines flight.[90]
  • On August 3, 2021, Spirit Airlines cancelled 40% of its flights, leaving travelers stranded because it had no arrangements with other airlines to book its passengers on other airlines' flights. Spirit Airlines said, "We're working around the clock to get back on track in the wake of some travel disruptions over the weekend due to a series of weather and operational challenges. We needed to make proactive cancellations to some flights across the network, but the majority of flights are still scheduled as planned."[91] By August 10, the schedule was stabilizing.[92]
  • In June 2023, a passenger was forced to urinate on the floor of a galley after a flight attendant denied her bathroom access for over two hours. The flight attendant filmed the incident and called the smell of her urine offensive. Meanwhile, the guest pleaded with the crew to allow her to use the bathroom which they continually refused.[93][94]

Destinations

[edit]
Main article: List of Spirit Airlines destinations
Countries and dependencies served by Spirit Airlines as of September 2024[95][96]

Spirit flies to 83 destinations throughout Central America, the Caribbean, South America, and the United States. As of September 2024, It maintains crew bases at Atlanta, Chicago–O'Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, Detroit, Fort Lauderdale, Houston–Intercontinental, Las Vegas, Miami, Newark, and Orlando.[97][98]

Fleet

[edit]
Spirit Airlines Airbus A319-100 painted in the grayscale livery used from 2002 until 2007
Spirit Airlines Airbus A319-100 in the earlier blue paint scheme, used from 2007 until 2014
Spirit Airlines Airbus A321-200 in the current yellow livery, carrying the former "Bare Fare" titles used from 2014 until 2018

Current fleet

[edit]

As of November 2024, Spirit Airlines operates an all-Airbus fleet composed of the following aircraft:[99]

Spirit Airlines fleet
Aircraft In
service 		Orders Passengers Notes
C P Y Total
Airbus A319-100 2 — 10 12 117 139 To be retired by January 2025.[100]
Airbus A320-200 58 — 8 12 156 176
Airbus A320neo 91 34 Orders include 50 options.
Largest operator of its type in the United States.
Airbus A321-200 26 — 8 12 202 222
Airbus A321neo 25 45 8 12 209 229
Total 202 79[citation needed]

Fleet development

[edit]

A February 2020 fleet plan outlines 293 aircraft planned by 2027.[101] An order of 100 additional aircraft with 50 options was announced in October 2019.[102][103] In July 2023, the airline converted an order of 31 A319neos into A321neos.[citation needed]

Historical fleet

[edit]

The following aircraft formerly operated in the Spirit Airlines fleet:[citation needed]

Spirit Airlines historical fleet
Aircraft Total Introduced Retired Replacement
McDonnell Douglas DC-9-21 3 1995 1997 None
McDonnell Douglas DC-9-31 6 1992 2003 McDonnell Douglas MD-80
McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32 7
McDonnell Douglas DC-9-41 2 1996
McDonnell Douglas MD-81 6 1999 2005 Airbus A320 family
McDonnell Douglas MD-82 15 1998 2007
McDonnell Douglas MD-83 15 2010
McDonnell Douglas MD-87 1 2000 2009

Frequent-flyer program

[edit]

Spirit Airlines' frequent-flyer program is called Free Spirit.[104] Spirit has a three-tier frequent flyer status program. The tiers are Free Spirit Member, Silver (Earn 2,000 status qualifying points in a calendar year), and Gold (Earn 5,000 status qualifying points in a calendar year).

Accidents and incidents

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ on average
  2. ^ at year end

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Federal Aviation Administration – Airline Certificate Information – Detail View". av-info.faa.gov. Retrieved June 27, 2019.
  2. ^ "Spirit Airlines to Open New Crew Base for Pilots at Newark Liberty International Airport".
  3. ^ "Join – Free Spirit". www.spirit.com. Retrieved February 10, 2019.
  4. ^ "Spirit Airlines on ch-aviation". ch-aviation. Retrieved November 9, 2023.
  5. ^ a b c d e f "Spirit Airlines, Inc., 2022 Annual Report (Form 10-K)". U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. February 6, 2023.
  6. ^ a b c d "Spirit Airlines – History" (PDF). Spirit Airlines, Inc. August 1, 2011. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 23, 2016. Retrieved April 8, 2018.
  7. ^ Nicas, Jack (May 14, 2012). "A Stingy Spirit Lifts Airline's Profit". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved December 12, 2023.
  8. ^ a b c d Wittkowski, Donald (May 30, 1992). "Small Airline Expands A.C. Flights with Jets". The Press of Atlantic City.
  9. ^ "Spirit Expands Fla./Atlantic City Air Service". The Press of Atlantic City. September 5, 1993.
  10. ^ Belden, Tom (April 12, 1994). "Atlanta-based Line Plans Phila. Flights". The Philadelphia Inquirer.
  11. ^ a b c Sangiacomo, Michael (June 8, 1994). "Spirit Airlines Pledges That Anyone With Ticket Will Fly". The Plain Dealer. Cleveland, Ohio.
  12. ^ a b Bryant, Paul (April 9, 2021). "Commercial pilot, daughter team up to fly hot air balloons over Denton". Denton Record-Chronicle. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
  13. ^ "Three 99s earn United Airlines Type Ratings together" (PDF). International Women Pilots. The Ninety-Nines Inc. August 1997. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
  14. ^ "World Airline Directory". Flight International. March 25–31, 1998. p. 92. Archived from the original on July 18, 2014 – via Flight Global/Archive. Spirit Airlines: 18121 East 8 Mile Road, Eastpointe, 48021, Michigan, USA
  15. ^ "Spirit Airlines Honored as 'Good Corporate Citizen of the Year'". Miramar Business Appreciation 2003. Business Wire. February 13, 2003. Retrieved December 17, 2009.
  16. ^ "AS THE SPIRIT MOVES THEM". Sun Sentinel. August 8, 1999. Retrieved December 12, 2023.
  17. ^ "- SPIRIT AIRLINES INC | Violation Tracker". violationtracker.goodjobsfirst.org. Archived from the original on April 8, 2018. Retrieved April 8, 2018.
  18. ^ "FAA To Fine TWA, Spirit For Violations". aviationweek.com. Archived from the original on April 8, 2018. Retrieved April 8, 2018.
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  20. ^ Melewar, T. C. (April 10, 2015). Corporate Branding: Areas, arenas and approaches. Routledge. p. 47. ISBN 978-1-317-95091-2.
  21. ^ "New York Business News – Business, Money, Financial & Corporate News". NBC New York. Archived from the original on December 1, 2008. Retrieved April 8, 2018.
  22. ^ Hugo Martin (May 21, 2010). "Are carry-on bag fees hurting Spirit Airlines?". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on February 4, 2013. Retrieved January 9, 2013.
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  25. ^ "Spirit Airlines pilots approve a new contract". Sun Sentinel. Sun-Sentinel Company. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
  26. ^ Johnsson, Julie (June 16, 2010). "Spirit, pilots reach deal to end strike". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on June 21, 2010. Retrieved December 12, 2023.
  27. ^ "Spirit Airlines World MasterCard® Credit Card". Bank of America. Archived from the original on September 20, 2014. Retrieved June 9, 2013.
  28. ^ "Spirit Airlines to Charge New Fee for Carry-On Luggage". ABC News. April 6, 2010. Archived from the original on April 15, 2017. Retrieved February 10, 2019.
  29. ^ Gilbertson, Dawn (October 19, 2018). "Flying Spirit, Frontier or Allegiant? Here are 12 things you need to know". USA Today. Archived from the original on January 29, 2019. Retrieved February 10, 2019.
  30. ^ "Spirit Airlines' final answer to dying Vietnam vet seeking ticket refund: No". Fox News. April 30, 2012. Archived from the original on May 14, 2012. Retrieved May 25, 2012.
  31. ^ Miller, Joshua Rhett (May 3, 2012). "Spirit Airlines' boss calls industry-high complaint rate 'irrelevant,' says dying veteran should've bought insurance". Fox News. Archived from the original on May 27, 2012. Retrieved December 12, 2023.
  32. ^ Miller, Joshua Rhett (May 4, 2012). "Spirit bows to pressure: Airline CEO to refund dying veteran's fare". Fox News. Archived from the original on May 9, 2012. Retrieved December 12, 2023.
  33. ^ "TWU Dispatchers Ratify New Agreement With Spirit Airlines". Transport Workers Union of America. August 20, 2013. Archived from the original on October 19, 2017. Retrieved October 18, 2017.
  34. ^ Tuttle, Brad (October 29, 2014). "America's Cheapest Airline Looks to Make Flights Even Cheaper". Money.com. Archived from the original on May 16, 2021. Retrieved November 12, 2014.
  35. ^ Mayerowitz, Scott (January 5, 2016). "Brash, fee-happy CEO of Spirit Airlines abruptly replaced". AP News. Associated Press. Archived from the original on January 6, 2016. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
  36. ^ "ANALYSIS: New Spirit chief refuels Frontier merger rumours". FlightGlobal. January 6, 2016. Archived from the original on February 18, 2018. Retrieved April 7, 2018.
  37. ^ Levine-Weinberg, Adam (November 1, 2016). "Spirit Airlines Gets a New CEO: Reading Between the Lines". The Motley Fool. Archived from the original on January 10, 2016. Retrieved January 10, 2016.
  38. ^ Martin, Hugo (November 18, 2017). "Spirit Airlines turns to Disney to improve its customer service". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on April 8, 2018. Retrieved April 8, 2018.
  39. ^ Martin, Grant. "Spirit Airlines Now Delivers More Flights On Time Than American Or United". Forbes. Archived from the original on April 8, 2018. Retrieved April 8, 2018.
  40. ^ James, Nancy (October 4, 2023). "Is Spirit Airlines Safe To Fly? – Spirit Airlines Safety Record". Airlinespolicy. Retrieved December 12, 2023.
  41. ^ "Spirit is first budget airline in the US to offer WiFi". May 11, 2018. Archived from the original on May 21, 2018. Retrieved May 20, 2018.
  42. ^ "Spirit Airlines Plans Smaller Headquarters in Dania Beach". September 14, 2021.
  43. ^ "Spirit Airlines to buy 100 Airbus A320neo family aircraft". CNBC. December 23, 2019. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
  44. ^ Arrojas, Matthew (July 30, 2020). "Spirit Airlines prepares to furlough 20% to 30% of employees". South Florida Business Journal. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
  45. ^ "Spirit Airlines Reaches Deal With Pilots to Avoid Layoffs". TravelPulse.
  46. ^ a b Duncan, Ian (October 31, 2020). "A woman died of coronavirus on a plane. Her fellow passengers were never notified". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 31, 2020.
  47. ^ "Frontier Airlines and Spirit Airlines to Combine, Creating America's Most Competitive Ultra-Low Fare Airline" (Press release). Securities and Exchange Commission.
  48. ^ LeBeau, Phil (February 7, 2022). "Frontier and Spirit to merge creating fifth-largest airline in U.S." CNBC. Retrieved February 7, 2022.
  49. ^ Schaper, David; Hernandez, Joe (February 7, 2022). "Frontier-Spirit merger promises better deals and service; critics aren't so sure". NPR. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
  50. ^ Chokshi, Niraj (July 27, 2022). "Spirit Airlines and Frontier call off a proposed merger". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 27, 2022.
  51. ^ Josephs, Leslie (April 5, 2022). "JetBlue makes all-cash offer for Spirit Airlines, complicating planned Frontier tie-up". CNBC. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
  52. ^ "JetBlue Submits Superior Proposal to Acquire Spirit,Positioning America's Much-Loved Airline as the Most Compelling National Low-Fare Challenger to the 'Big Four' Airlines" (Press release). Securities and Exchange Commission.
  53. ^ Isadore, Chris (May 2, 2022). "Spirit rejects JetBlue's offer, saying it wants less lucrative deal with Frontier". CNN Business.
  54. ^ "Spirit Airlines Completes Initial High-Speed Wi-Fi Installation, Takes Ultra-Low Fare Air Travel Experience to New Heights" (Press release). Spirit Airlines. July 13, 2022. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
  55. ^ Kirby, Mary (August 21, 2022). "Spirit's transition to SES-17 satellite capacity continues apace". Runway Girl. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
  56. ^ "Spirit Airlines Passengers Enjoy Fast Wi-Fi in the Sky Enabled by High-Powered SES-17 Satellite" (Press release). Spirit Airlines. February 22, 2023. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
  57. ^ "Ex-99.1".
  58. ^ a b Sider, Alison (July 28, 2022). "JetBlue Agrees to Buy Spirit Airlines for $3.8 Billion After Frontier Deal Dies". The Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved July 28, 2022.
  59. ^ Koenig, David (October 19, 2022). "Spirit Airlines shareholders approve $3.8B sale to JetBlue". AP News. Retrieved December 18, 2024.
  60. ^ Raymond, Nate (October 31, 2023). "US seeks to block JetBlue's Spirit Airlines deal at trial". Reuters. Retrieved October 31, 2023.
  61. ^ Bartz, Diane; Shepardson, David (March 7, 2023). "US sues to stop JetBlue's deal for Spirit, cites consumer harm". Reuters.
  62. ^ Isidore, Chris (March 7, 2023). "US Justice Department sues to block JetBlue's purchase of Spirit Airlines". CNN. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
  63. ^ Raymond, Nate (October 31, 2023). "US seeks to block JetBlue's Spirit Airlines deal at trial". Reuters. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  64. ^ Michaels, David; Sider, Alison (January 16, 2024). "Federal Judge Blocks JetBlue's $3.8 Billion Acquisition of Spirit Airlines". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
  65. ^ "US judge blocks JetBlue from acquiring Spirit Airlines". Reuters. January 16, 2024. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
  66. ^ "Focus: Spirit Airlines finds itself with few options after judge blocks deal with JetBlue". Reuters. January 16, 2024. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
  67. ^ "Spirit Air Says No Bankruptcy Planning After JetBlue Setback". Bloomberg Law. January 18, 2024. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
  68. ^ Feuer, Will (March 4, 2024). "JetBlue and Spirit Airlines Call Off Merger Deal". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
  69. ^ Isidore, Chris (November 13, 2024). "Spirit Airlines shares plunge on bankruptcy speculation". CNN. Retrieved November 13, 2024.
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[edit]
  • Official website
  • Business data for Spirit Airlines:
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