FLORIDA- Spirit Airlines (NK) anticipates receiving between $150 million to $200 million in compensation for the grounding of certain aircraft caused by problems with Pratt & Whitney engines.
According to a regulatory filing made on Friday, the carrier has reached an agreement with International Aero Engines, a Pratt & Whitney affiliate, to receive a monthly credit for the grounded planes throughout 2024.
Spirit P&W Engine Problems
In July 2023, Pratt & Whitney identified a contamination issue with its geared turbofan engines produced between the fourth quarter of 2015 and the third quarter of 2021. This contamination, involving powdered metal, posed a potential risk to the engines’ performance.
The issues primarily impacted Airbus A320neos, leading carriers like Spirit and JetBlue (B6)—both reliant on the A320neo—to ground several planes. Spirit anticipated grounding 25 A320neos in 2024 due to these issues.
In the filing, Spirit stated it would negotiate “appropriate arrangements” with Pratt & Whitney if the need to ground planes extends beyond December 31, 2024.
During a fourth-quarter earnings call, Spirit’s chief financial officer, Scott Haralson, mentioned that the carrier had been working on a compensation agreement with Pratt & Whitney.
This compensation could serve as a significant source of liquidity for Spirit, which has struggled to turn a profit since the pandemic and faces a substantial $1.1 billion debt maturing in 2025. To bolster its liquidity, Spirit recently sold 25 aircraft and leased them back, enabling it to reduce debt by $465 million and secure $419 million in cash.
New Strategy After Merger Failure
Spirit’s trajectory remains uncertain after the breakdown of its merger with JetBlue. Certain Wall Street analysts had previously suggested that the airline might have to consider bankruptcy or seek an alternative buyer.
Spirit CEO Ted Christie dismissed such remarks as a “misguided narrative” during an analysts’ call in February.
To revive its profitability, Spirit is currently exploring strategies such as expanding its network of connecting flights in cities like Fort Lauderdale and Las Vegas while reducing its reliance on the fiercely competitive Florida market.
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