Industry Spirit Airlines signs MoU for up to 100 A320neo aircraft

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the airline and Airbus. The MoU sees the U.S.-airline to acquire up to 100 A320neo Family aircraft. Spirit said that the MoU includes order options for a mix of A319neo, A320neo and A321neo.

With the new aircraft, Spirit seeks to meet its future fleet requirement plans. If all orders will be converted to firm agreements, Spirit will become one of the largest A320neo Family operator in the United States.

“This new order represents another milestone for Spirit,” said Spirit Airlines’ President and CEO Ted Christie. “The additional aircraft will be used to support Spirit’s growth as we add new destinations and expand our network across the U.S., Latin America, and the Caribbean. We look forward to working with our valued partners at Airbus to finalise our agreement.”

“The Airbus A320 Family has been a strong platform for the remarkable success of Spirit over the past several years,” said Airbus Chief Commercial Officer Christian Scherer.  “The ongoing, enthusiastic spirit the airline demonstrates in our A320neo Family is most rewarding, and we look forward to playing a part in the Spirit team’s continued growth for many, many years to come.”

Currently, Spirit Airlines operates low-cost flights throughout America with an all-Airbus fleet of 31 A319s, 77 A320s, of which 13 are A320neos and 30 A321s. The average fleet age is at around six years, meaning that Spirit flies with very young aircraft.

The commitment to purchase A320neo aircraft underlines Spirits ambitions to better its operational performance and efficiency. Airbus´ popular A320neo series is well-known for delivering at least 20 percent of reduced fuel burn when compared to older-generation aircraft. Furthermore, the A320neo creates 50 percent less noise.

At the end of September 2019, Airbus had received more than 6,650 firm orders from nearly 110 customers worldwide. This week, Indian carrier IndiGo has announced that it will purchase 300 A320neo aircraft.

Spirit Airlines is a low-cost carrier from the United States. The airline was founded in 1980 and has its main operational hub in Fort Lauderdale.