Spirit Airlines

Spirit Airlines withdraws request to end leases for three A320neo aircraft

Spirit Airlines previously committed to operating between 10 and 28 A320neo family aircraft. Currently, it has 36 A320neo family aircraft.

Photo: Spirit Airlines

Spirit Airlines has withdrawn its request to end leases for three Airbus A320neo aircraft that it has leased from Fuyo Lease Group, a Japan-based lessor, which the airline initially sought to reject in October 2025 and later, in December 2025.

In a notice to the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York on January 21, Spirit Airlines informed the court that it is withdrawing its motion to reject leases of three A320neo aircraft, all powered by the Pratt & Whitney PW1100G engines, which it had planned to surrender in February.

The short filing explained that Spirit Airlines no longer wants to surrender the trio to Fuyo Lease “in light of their agreement with the” lessor, warning that it reserves its right to refile any motions related to the three aircraft in the future, including potential lease rejections.

According to Spirit Airlines’ Chapter 11 bankruptcy case files, the trio was part of a total of five leased A320neo aircraft that the low-cost carrier had sought to reject from Fuyo Lease Group.

In an initial filing on October 2, 2025, Spirit Airlines deemed that at least 87 of its aircraft were ‘excess,’ and was seeking the court’s approval to reject their leases. In late October 2025, the airline informed the lessor that, unless it objects, it will pay a confidential amount to Fuyo Lease Group in order to cure its debts related to the five A320neo aircraft.

On December 10, 2025, the court approved a restructuring term sheet between Spirit Airlines and Fuyo Lease Group, which specifically included the terms that jets with the manufacturer serial numbers (MSNs) 11433 and 11511 would be rejected during the same month, while MSNs 11643, 11859, and 11900 would be returned to the lessor on February 11.

“For the avoidance of doubt, Spirit may, at its sole discretion, elect to reject or keep any or all of the aircraft and determine rejection dates.”

Just two days before, Spirit Airlines attempted to prematurely end leases for all five MSNs.

With the withdrawal, it intends to keep the three long-term A320neos beyond February 11.

According to planespotters.net, MSN 11643 is registered as N986NK, MSN 11859 is N990NK, and MSN 11900 is N992NK.

Spirit Airlines’ fleet plans

In a separate restructuring term sheet with International Aero Engines (IAE), Spirit Airlines committed to having between 10 and 28 A320neo and at least 78 A320ceo family aircraft.

Planespotters.net records showed that currently, Spirit Airlines has 125 aircraft in its fleet, 14 of which are parked, split between 60 A320ceo, 15 A320neo, 29 A321ceo, and 21 A321neo aircraft.

At the end of Q2 2025, it had a fleet of 215 aircraft. 148 were financed as operating leases, another 18 were deemed as failed sale-and-leaseback (SLB) transactions, and 49 were owned. Now, planespotters.net indicates that 36 A320ceo, 15 A320neo, five A321ceo, and 21 A321neo are leased, meaning that Spirit Airlines leases 77 out of its 125 aircraft, including all of its A320neo family jets.

Translating into practical terms, Spirit Airlines is shrinking.

By how much? In April 2026, the airline has scheduled 600,033 weekly seats, compared to 840,956 in April 2025, a reduction of 28.6% year-on-year (YoY).