A Spirit Airlines A320 equipped with the new “sharklet” wingtip devices is pictured at Atlanta in April 2013. Photo: Andrew Thon – OPShots Contributor
Spirit’s aggressive near-term growth strategy will emphasize connecting existing markets with new nonstop service rather than adding new “dots” to its route map, the carrier’s top executive confirms.
“We likely will still add a few [new cities] every year as we move forward,” CEO Ben Baldanza told analysts on a Feb. 19 earnings call, “but more of the growth is going to come from connecting places that we already serve.”
Unlike most U.S. carriers, Spirit is in high-growth mode, notionally targeting annual available seat mile (ASM) increases of 15%-20%. In 2013, the carrier boosted capacity 22% and launched 25 new routes.
