Home skillet, everybody will be leaving soon. New hires, mid level, senior and everybody in between. Better pray the pipeline has plenty of fresh bodies to pump in. The growth depends on the gamble management is taking that literally every other air carrier is trying to avoid and that's a massive pilot shortage. If you're the management troll I think you are, I hope you have a back up plan for income when your gamble becomes your nightmare cause it's a pilot shortage not a management shortage.

 

It's not a pipe dream, it's inevitable and it will bury this company if they continue to think otherwise. Sadly, this company is being reactive, unlike the other airlines that are being surprisingly proactive

 

Side rant.....

Oh the stupidity....

We get an email today stating that everyone but 11 pilots have completed the NEO training.

So.....instead of sending an email to 11 pilots, or contacting them directly, they send a blast mail out to 1500.

 

There's so much wrong with this that I take back calling you a management troll. Even a management goon can't be this stupid. You might not even be in the aviation industry. My bad. Next topic...

 

What does "on the verge of 100k /yr" mean?

You just showed your ignorance if you think 9 yr CAs here make that

 

Ah, yes...thanks for your steaming pile opinion. It's clear you can't help yourself though. Silly troll is silly.

There is no way anyone with half a brain would want a full turnover of pilots to keep longevities low. That's not a sustainable model.

 

Ahhhh Cujo, I haven't seen you since I was a new hire at Eagle, word on the street is that JW fired you for good, what's new in your world, and what association do you have with Spirit?

 

Cujo, as in RI (former NY rep), Cujo??

 

That's the only Cujo 665 I know of, unless someone hijacked the name...so Cujo, to avoid doubt or confusion, are we incorrect to assume so?

 

Spirit says new fuel-efficient A320neo planes offer increased cabin comfort, cost savings

Arlene Satchell
Spirit Airlines' new Airbus A320neo aircraft
Spirit is the first U.S. airline to take delivery of the A320neo aircraft, officials said

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Imagine a quieter plane cabin. More room between economy seats. And a fuel-efficient engine that can help keep your plane ticket costs down.

Spirit Airlines on Friday unveiled its new Airbus A320neo aircraft, describing it as an eco-friendly plane designed to enhance the flying experience for passengers. The Miramar-based carrier is the first U.S. airline to take delivery of this type of aircraft, spokesman Paul Berry said during a tour of the plane at Spirit's warehouse facility at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.

The budget carrier plans to add five A320neo planes to its fleet by year's end, and it is projected to have 55 by the end of 2021, according to a company aircraft delivery schedule.

The Airbus A320neo (which stands for new engine option) features a single-aisle configuration with 182 seats — four more than other A320 aircraft in Spirit's fleet. Its 18-inch-wide economy seats, however, are slimmer to allow for more space in front for increased passenger comfort, Spirit officials said.

"People complain about the leg room right, but [you can see] there's still plenty of room. You get the comfort — these are full leather seats — but they are designed in a way where you get extra room up here," Berry said, pointing to the space between his seat and the one in front of him.

The aircraft's Pratt & Whitney PurePower Geared Turbofan engine-type uses less fuel and produces fewer emissions and less noise, said Spirit, the first U.S. carrier with this engine-type.

"Together, we are changing sustainable aviation because of our continued focus on reducing emissions, noise and fuel consumption," said Rick Deurloo, a Pratt & Whitney senior vice president, in a statement.

"It provides less fuel burn for us, which saves us money, so we can pass that savings on to our customers," Berry said. "It's environmentally friendly because we're burning less fuel, and then it's also much quieter, so we're being community-friendly when we're flying in and out of different airports around the country."

That difference in noise level is noticeable both inside and outside of the plane, noted Jyri Strandman, Spirit's vice president of flight operations.

"The airplane is supremely quiet. It's about 18 decibels less on the noise footprint than the other comparable Airbus 320s [that] we fly," Strandman said. "You really don't hear a noise, you feel rather the vibration of the motor, so it's a much more comfortable journey."

Spirit's first new A320neo aircraft will initially enter service next week on its Detroit-to-Los Angeles route, Strandman said. A second A320neo, which was expected to be delivered later Friday, likely will operate between Fort Lauderdale and Chicago, he added.

After an initial stint of about two weeks in these markets, the A320neos would go into Spirit's network system like any other plane, Strandman noted.

The two A320neos are Spirit's 90th and 91st aircraft, and the three others on tap will bring the airline's all-Airbus fleet to 95 planes at the end of 2016.

"Spirit is thrilled to be the first carrier to bring this innovation to the U.S.," said Ted Christie, Spirit's chief financial officer, in a statement.

In other Spirit news, even as the airline is beefing up its fleet, nearly 100 of its unionized pilots organized an informational picket on Tuesday at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport to protest the slow pace of new contract negotiations started nearly two years ago.

The negotiations between Spirit and its pilots, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, are now being supervised by the National Mediation Board in Washington, D.C.

"Spirit pilots are paid significantly less than pilots at other airlines flying the same routes on the same aircraft," said Capt. Stuart Morrison, head of the Spirit unit of the pilots' association, in a statement. "It's time for our company to put an end to that unreasonable disparity and come to the table with an offer that recognizes our contributions to Spirit's success."

When asked where negotiations stood on Friday, Berry said the parties are expected to have their second mediated session next week in Washington, D.C.

"We want a contract that really recognizes the contributions that the pilots make to our airline, but at the same time we want to make sure it's a contract that will allow us to grow as an airline to continue to do some of the things we're doing, and so that takes time sometimes," Berry said.

"We're working together and we're confident that we'll ultimately get a contract," he added. "We just got to come to a point where each side gets what they need, and what they want to move forward."

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