Spirit Airlines to order up to 100 Airbus jets

Airbus and Spirit Airlines have signed a memorandum of understanding for up to 100 A320neo family aircraft to be used to expand the US carrier’s network. The ultra-low-cost carrier intends to acquire a mix of A319neo, A320neo and A321neo aircraft worth about $US11 billion to meet its future fleet requirements. “This new order represents another milestone for Spirit,” said Spirit chief executive 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 finalize our agreement.” The culmination of the deal would see Sprit become the first airline to take the Airbus aircraft since Washington imposed a tariff on the European company’s planes. READ: Boeing to cut 787 production as trade war bites Spirit already operates an all-Airbus fleet and Airbus chief commercial officer Christian Scherer said the A320 platform had been a strong platform for the airline’s success. “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,” he said. At the end of September 2019, the A320neo Family had received more than 6,650 firm orders from nearly 110 customers worldwide. The MOU comes as a Czech Airlines recently announced an order for four A220-300 aircraft and switched three A320neos to the A321XLR. The A321XLR adds range and payload to the A321LR and from 2023 will deliverup to 4,700nm with a 30 percent lower fuel burn per seat compared with previous generation competitor aircraft.