Aircraft utilization in the third quarter 2022 was 10.6 hours, down 15.2 percent compared to the 12.5 hours in the same period of 2019. Continued constraint on flights to and from Florida and staffing challenges are the primary limitations on Spirit's ability to optimize its network and operate its fleet at full utilization.
“The constraints limiting our ability to optimize our network continue to be a headwind to reaching full utilization; that said, our team is doing a great job running a reliable, on-time operation and minimizing the impacts of these constraints. Despite the large number of aircraft deliveries over the next few months, we remain confident we will continue to see gradual improvement in fleet utilization in the fourth quarter and throughout the first half of next year, reaching full utilization around mid-summer 2023," said Scott Haralson, Spirit's Chief Financial Officer.