Spirit Airlines announced today that it has ordered three more Airbus A321 airplanes for delivery in the 4th quarter of 2008. These aircraft collectively have a list price valued in excess of $200 million.
“We are delighted to order more A321 aircraft as this model is the most efficient narrow body aircraft available and will allow Spirit to have the lowest CASM for years to come,” said Ben Baldanza, President and Chief Operating Officer of Spirit Airlines. “Last week, we announced $100 million in new financing, which will largely be used to finance our accelerated transition to an all-Airbus fleet by early 2007. We look forward to making more announcements in the future as we grow our airline and strengthen our position as the leading low cost carrier to the Caribbean and Latin America.”
“The A321 is the perfect airplane for airlines such as Spirit who offer their customers a low fare, high quality travel experience,” said Guy McLeod, President of Sales for Airbus North America. “The partnership between Airbus and Spirit Airlines is further strengthened with the addition of these three aircraft, and we are proud to be a part of Spirit’s growth.”
In March 2004, Spirit placed an order with Airbus to acquire 35 new aircraft valued at $2 billion with options for an additional 50 aircraft. These three aircraft are an addition to the original order. Spirit currently flies 22 MD-80s, 5 Airbus A321s, and 6 Airbus A319s. The airline will retire 6 MD-80s this fall and will introduce an additional 4 Airbus A319s and 1 Airbus A321 before the end of the year. With this order, Spirit still maintains options for an additional 50 aircraft.
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