Purely speculative article, but the delivery timelines for potentially better airplanes than the E2 (like the CSeries/A220) are growing... With the long order backlogs, it would take 4-5 years to get a new NEO or 737-MAX ordered today. Doesn’t Spirit want to maintain its high growth rate? The article makes some good points:

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/why-spirit-airlines-might-order-154000628.html

Honestly at this point I don't feel like the goal is growth...if it was we would have ordered something by now. At this point it will take years to get an Airbus order (320) since Frontier ordered about a million. Boeing's 737 max's are on a back log now as well. I'm not sure what our "goal" is anymore but if you step back and look at it, it sure doesn't look like growth.....

You know, an order may have been made and they’re waiting to announce just before the end of the year prior to Chrstie’s christening. Just a thought.

No orders because of the impending merger. No need for new planes if they can push it through the DOJ.

Merger with who? 🧐

Merger with whom?

If it’s who we’re screwed; if it’s whom we win!

Frontier seems to be adding a lot of airframes that would be useful for growth....

Everyone is merging with everyone.

FACT.

Swift air, that is how we will obtain 737 and keep bragging about our new plane smell.

Biggest mistake spirit made is not ordering Airbus. They fought over pennies and now they are gonna be stuck with some Chinese or Russian Airbus knockoff, or an Embraer. Multiple fleet type is gonna kill spirit. Bottom line. Best hope for spirit’s survival is merger with someone with lots of Airbus orders....frontier :D