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Spirit Airlines voluntarily entered the Chapter 11 restructuring process once again last week. The move is designed to secure the airline’s long-term future while ensuring that its operations continue without disruption. This is the second time in 12 months that Spirit has sought Chapter 11 protections (last time it exited in only four months). As part of the changes, Spirit looks to redesign its network. Part of this comes in the form of removing cities from its route network and 11 that are currently served are getting the axe.
Spirit will remove the following destinations from its map:
- Albuquerque International Sunport (ABQ)
- Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport (BHM)
- Boise Airport (BOI)
- Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport (CHA)
- Columbia Metropolitan Airport (CAE)
- Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport (OAK)
- Portland International Airport (PDX)
- Sacramento International Airport (SMF)
- Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC)
- San Diego International Airport (SAN)
- San José Mineta International Airport (SJC)
A Spirit Airlines spokesperson said in a statement:
As part of our efforts to transform our business and position Spirit for long-term success, we are adjusting our network to focus on our strongest performing markets. We apologize to our Guests for any inconvenience this may cause and will reach out to those with affected reservations to notify them of their options, including a refund.”
This route network adjustment is only one part of Spirit’s plan. It also intends to:
- Optimize its fleet size: Spirit will rightsize its fleet to match capacity. This will significantly lower Spirit’s debt and lease obligations and is projected to generate hundreds of millions of dollars in annual operating savings.
- Address its cost structure: Spirit will reinforce efforts to build on its industry-leading cost model by pursuing further efficiencies across the business.
- Effectively compete and meet evolving consumer preferences with its three travel options: Spirit First, Premium Economy, and Value
Anthony’s Take: Change was inevitable. I doubt that these will be the last cities cut as Spirit works to gain its footing and once again work through Chapter 11.
(Image Credits: Spirit Airlines.)
(H/T: AirlineGeeks.)
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Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links above This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
