Spirit to cut fleet to 76 to 80 planes by third quarter of 2026

March 13 (Reuters) - Spirit Aviation Holdings FLYYQ.PK, the parent company of Spirit Airlines, said on Friday it intends to further cut its fleet to 76 to 80 planes from 114 by the third quarter of 2026, primarily consisting of Airbus A320/321 CEO aircraft.

The airline also filed a Restructuring Support Agreement and Plan of Reorganization with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York as it expects to emerge from Chapter 11 by early summer.

• Spirit's debt and lease obligations are expected to be reduced from $7.4 billion pre-filing to approximately $2 billion post-emergence.

• Spirit will focus on its strongest routes and markets, including Fort Lauderdale (FLL), Orlando (MCO), Detroit (DTW) and the New York City area (EWR/LGA).

• The company anticipates adding aircraft between 2027 and 2030, commensurate with profitable growth opportunities.

• Spirit intends to expand its Spirit First and Premium Economy products and continue its rollout of Premium Economy seating.

• In October 2025, Spirit cut 100 aircraft, nearly half of its fleet, as part of a sweeping bankruptcy restructuring process.