Posted by: Editor on Jun 14, 2005 – 12:42 PM
excursions Spirit Airlines recently launched its newest Airbus A319 aircraft, dubbed ‘Spirit of The Bahamas.’ The aircraft, which was given the name during a private ceremony Friday, adds to Spirit’s expanding service to The Bahamas, introduced on January 10.
Spirit currently offers two non-stop daily flights between Nassau and Fort Lauderdale and serves San Salvador with non-stop Saturday service. It also offers connecting service to Nassau from Detroit, New York/La Guardia, Chicago/O’Hare, Washington, D.C., Regan National, Atlantic City and Providence (serving the Boston area).
In a press release, Chief Marketing Officer of Spirit Airline, Barry Biffle was quoted as saying, “We are delighted to introduce our fourth A319 aircraft, ‘Spirit of The Bahamas.’ The arrival of this aircraft celebrates our expanding service to Nassau and San Salvador.
He continued, “This aircraft and our new non-stop flights this fall between Orlando and Nassau, exemplify our ongoing commitment towards being the leading low-cost carrier to The Bahamas and the Caribbean. We invite customers to join us in our celebration of The Bahamas and book a flight today.”
Spirit’s Nassau to Orlando service, starting at $59 each way, will commence November 10.
Airline now has four airbuses
The Fort Lauderdale-based airline said it would lease its ‘Spirit of The Bahamas’ aircraft from the International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC). With this addition Spirit’s fleet now consists of four Airbus A319s. It also has four Airbus A321s and 23 MD-80s.
Spirit said in its quest to become an all Airbus fleet by early-2007, it would deliver six more A319s and two more A321s by the end of the year. It also has another 23 aircraft on order with options for acquiring 50 more.
Record April traffic
In April, the airline said it carried 458,437 passengers, 13.1 percent more than the same period last year. It reportedly achieved a 78.2 percent load factor, 4.2 percent higher than April 2004.
Revenue Passenger Miles (RPMs) reportedly reached 435,768,000, 6.4 percent higher than last April, while Available Seat Miles (ASMS) reached 557,496,000, 2.1 percent higher than April 2004.
Founded in 1990, Spirit is the largest privately-held airline in the U.S., serving 18 cities, including: Atlantic City, N.J.; Cancun, Mexico; Chicago/O’Hare; Detroit; Kingston, Jamaica (service starts December 15, 2005); Las Vegas; Los Angeles; Myrtle Beach, S.C; Montego Bay, Jamaica (service starts November 10, 2005); Nassau; New York/LaGuardia; Providence/Boston area; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic; Washington D.C./Reagan National; Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Orlando and Tampa, with seasonal service to West Palm Beach.
Source: The Nassau Guardian 7th June, 2005. Article by Mindell Small