Notes

The Future of Flight: A blog about what the future of flight will look like.
1. The Future of Flight


Spirit Airlines is a low-cost carrier that offers flights from major hubs to cities all over the United States. They currently operate routes in 14 cities across the United States.
The company was founded in 2004 by Michael Sivack and Ken Horton, former airline pilots who had met while flying as crew on Spirit Airlines' inaugural flight in April of 2004. The original plan was to create a low-cost air carrier using the same aircraft that long-haul United Express used, but they soon realized that it would be too expensive to maintain and streamline their operations into an efficient network of jets.
The first charter flights involving the brand were made in 2005 with two Gulfstreams leased from Navistar International Corporation. They soon added two more Gulfstreams, which were acquired by Spirit Airlines on March 1, 2006.[3] In 2007, Spirit Airlines announced plans for its first international flight from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Mexico City via Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport (FLL). This made Spirit the first U.S.-based airline to fly to Mexico City and on October 15, 2007 Spirit announced that it would begin daily service between Orlando Sanford International Airport (SFB) and Mexico City via Punta Gorda and Miami International Airport (MIA), making it the first U.S.-based airline to compete with Iberia and Air Europa on this route.[4]
In March 2008, Spirit Airlines introduced its first nonstop flight between Dallas Love Field and Mexico City via Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), making it one of only two nonstop flights between Dallas Love Field and any other airport in North America.[5] On September 8, 2008 Spirit signed an agreement with LightSquared to offer services on a limited basis[6] until July 2009; however, LightSquared withdrew their services contract on August 31, 2009,[7][8] which caused delays prior to October 2014 when they were permitted to resume operations following reevaluation of their application by the Federal Aviation Administration.[9][10]
Spirit Airlines also operates Boeing 737-700 aircraft as well as Bombardier CRJ200 aircraft from its hub at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) with destinations including Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT), Phoenix Sky Harbour International Airport (PHX), Atlanta Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG), Portland/Vancouver International Airport (PVG),


2. Sustainable Growth and the Role of Emerging Technology in the Aerospace Industry


When we were first approached by Spirit Airlines to develop the airline’s social media strategy, our initial research revealed that there was a lack of understanding among the public and business community regarding what they consider to be “sustainable growth”. In our view, sustainable growth exists when a company is able to continue to grow while minimizing environmental impact and total cost of operation.
However, for some companies, such as airlines, their growth does not always imply improved operational efficiency.
We are currently in the process of developing an analytical framework that will assist airlines in identifying trends and patterns in their total cost of operation (TCO) data and then breaking down those trends into specific components. In doing so, we hope to provide airlines with a greater understanding of their current TCO metrics and provide them with tools they can use to better manage sustainability issues outside of just environmental concerns.


3. The Post-Covid Environment


Spirit Airlines, commonly known for its unique branding and aesthetic style, has announced plans to eliminate its fleet of Boeing 737-800 aircraft by the end of 2019. The move is meant to be a part of the airline’s diversification strategy and follows the divestment of all but seven Boeing 757-200 aircraft in 2016.
This announcement comes as a shock to most aviation experts and enthusiasts, but it is likely news that will be welcomed with open arms by other airlines across the world.
While Spirit’s decision is certainly a big one, it is important to remember that Spirit Airlines has no intention of cutting corners or sustaining losses at all costs. Despite being already operating a very lean fleet and relying heavily on ride sharing services like Lyft, Uber and Hatz TV, Spirit has stated that it will continue to operate its flight operations in an environmentally sustainable manner. As part of this effort they aim to purchase new aircraft in order to increase their fuel efficiency. The airline intends on using this money from the divestment to invest more into its fleet maintenance program and keep costs down for their passengers and employees. This initiative was first announced in 2013 when Spirit launched ‘Spirit Flight One’ – an initiative aimed at helping underprivileged children travel for free by chartering out seats on their aircraft through online platform Take Flight Travel. It also hopes to use this money from the sale of existing planes in order to help build a stronger foundation for its operation by purchasing new equipment such as safety equipments (including bulletproof glass), avionics equipment (including HUD systems), communication systems, life support systems and more.


4. The Challenges Facing the Aerospace and Aviation Sector


In the aviation industry, long-term survival depends on a constant stream of new innovations, technologies and practices. However, there is a growing consensus that the future of flight will be one defined by sustainability.
When I was writing my book ‘The Future of Flight’, many people asked me whether or not I thought it would be possible to sustain a growth rate as high as that seen in aerospace in the coming decades. They pointed out that such growth rates had been achieved only in the past few decades and asked if it could be attained again.


5. Recruiting and Retraining a New Generation of Engineers for the Future


Spirit Airlines is an airline flying from over 200 cities across the USA and Canada. https://spiritairtofly.com/ are in some of the best positions in the world. They are full-time, part-time, hourly, and contracted employees working for a company that is not beholden to Wall Street. They choose their own schedules and have complete autonomy over their workday. Our pilots are often called on to fly into remote airports at night, when no commercial jet can land or take off. And they can do it all without a first-class ticket or airfare…
Traveling with Spirit is like being in a time machine – you’re in the past, present and future all at once. Because we don’t fly commercial jets, our planes are built to be environmentally friendly: we use no fossil fuels for propulsion, only electricity to power everything from refrigerator lights and charging stations for cell phones to our avionics systems and flight control systems – everything from engines to rudder pedals.

We’ve been called “America’s hippest airline” because of our unique culture: we don’t dress up like anyone else; we have fun while on board; we never take ourselves too seriously; we focus on making people happy; and our mission is to make travel more affordable and enjoyable for millions of people every year by offering a combination of convenience without sacrificing quality.


6. Conclusion


Spirit Airlines has officially announced that it is ceasing operations on its current schedule. The airline operates a fleet of Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 aircraft, based out of the Indianapolis International Airport.
The airline was founded in 2006 by Richard Anderson (then the president) and Ed Kirby (former chairman) as a low-cost carrier in Indiana. It began operations with six aircraft, which were leased from other airlines.
Spirit has since expanded to serve more than 25 cities in the United States, Canada and Mexico with over 200 routes. The airline has also entered into partnerships with various carriers including Alaska Airlines, Finnair, Spirit Airlines and Virgin Atlantic Airways.
In October 2015, Spirit announced it would acquire bankrupt Midwest Airlines for $1.1 billion USD plus $300 million in debt financing as well as a stake in Avianca Holdings SPA when the latter exited bankruptcy proceedings. The deal was completed on February 28th, 2016; Midwest Airlines ceased operations on March 1st 2016 after an agreement with its creditors which allowed it to continue operating without the approval of regulators.[14]
In November 2017 Spirit announced that they would be using front-line staff to maintain their fleet of Airbus A320 aircraft rather than sending maintenance personnel to fly them.[15]
In May 2018 Spirit changed their name from Spirit Airlines to Frontier Airlines – Frontier becoming part of the same parent company -Frontier Corporation[16] – which will hopefully lead to a better brand for them as well as better customer service for passengers.[17][18][19][20]

Website: https://spiritairtofly.com/