Spirit Airlines will close its ACY crew base, but flights will continue.
By LYNDA COHEN
EGG HARBOR TOWNSHNIP - Spirit Airlines announced Monday it will close its crew base at Atlantic City International Airport in September.
While Atlantic City will no longer serve as home to 157 pilots and flight attendants, "scheduled service at ACY will continue to operate as planned now and in the future," a spokesman assured BreakingAC.
The news comes as the airline announced it reached an agreement with Airbus to defer all aircraft on order that are scheduled to be delivered in the second quarter of 2025 through the end of 2026.
They will now come in 2030 to 2031.
The agreement with Airbus will improve Spirit's liquidity position by approximately $340 million over the next two years, the company said in announcement Monday. There are no changes to the aircraft on order with Airbus that are scheduled to be delivered in 2027 to 2029.
Spirit is one of more than 40 airlines and lessors affected by Pratt & Whitney's GTF engine problems. The company disclosed in July that several parts for its PW1100G-JM geared turbofan engines were manufactured with contaminated metal powder that makes the parts more susceptible to corrosion and cracks.
The issue required hundreds of planes with the engines to be grounded for inspections, with potentially thousands of engines being impacted.
As a result of the grounded aircraft and the Airbus deferral, Spirit said it would furlough about 260 pilots effective Sept. 1.
This left many wondering what would happen to Atlantic City's relatively small airport.
"Spirit has reached the difficult decision to close our crew base in ACY," a spokesperson told BreakingAC.
ACY is currently the home base for 157 pilots and flight attendants who begin and end their shifts there.
Over the past several years, our flight schedule from Atlantic City (ACY) has gradually decreased to an average of eight to 10 daily departures, depending on the season," the spokesperson said. "Moreover, half of this flying is to our largest crew bases in Florida."
The company "is actively evaluating opening a new crew base in the Northeast to provide coverage from one of our larger cities, and we hope to be able to finalize a new crew base in the near future," the statement continued. "ACY has been a great partner of ours as we've served the community for over 30 years, and we look forward to continuing to serve ACY and our guests who love the convenience and affordability of our service for many years to come.
Meanwhile, Spirit's President and CEO Ted Christie said the Airbus agreement "is an important part of Spirit's comprehensive plan to bolster profitability and strengthen our balance sheet."
"Deferring these aircraft gives us the opportunity to reset the business and focus on the core airline while we adjust to changes in the competitive environment," he said. "In addition, enhancing our liquidity provides us additional financial stability as we position the company for a return to profitability. We would like to thank our partners at Airbus for their continued support and commitment to the long-term success of Spirit."
The Airbus amendment also defers by two years the exercise dates for optional aircraft included in Spirit's purchase agreement. There is no change to the total number of aircraft on order or Spirit options for additional aircraft.
