FORT LAUDERDALE – Spirit Airlines is forecasting continued strong consumer demand for ultra low fares in 2008 and plans to increase capacity more than 10 percent system wide during the coming year, and plans to grow by 20 percent in South Florida.
Through productivity and efficiency, Spirit has achieved one of the most competitive cost structures in the world with costs (excluding fuel) now below five cents per available seat mile. This focus on low costs has allowed Spirit to succeed in selling ultra low fares – as low as a penny in many fare promotions.
The ultra low fares have in turn fueled Spirit’s growth, making Spirit the largest ultra low cost carrier to the Caribbean and Latin America, and it is also now the largest carrier in Fort Lauderdale, and the largest low fare airline in Detroit.
“We witnessed strong demand in 2007 for our new unbundled low fare product,” says Spirit CEO Ben Baldanza. “As we welcome the new year, we are very bullish in our outlook for 2008 demand for low fares and with a concentrated effort on keeping our costs under control we expect to prosper for years to come.”
Spirit is responding to the strong demand for ultra low fares with plans to grow capacity by more than 10 percent year over year with the introduction of new service in over 10 new markets, as well as continued growth in existing markets.
