Spirit Airlines faced a wave of cancellations on Friday, citing "necessary" inspections for some of its aircraft. Data from FlightAware revealed that Spirit had canceled around 100 flights, equivalent to 11 percent of its daily operations, by Friday afternoon. The airline confirmed that 25 aircraft were undergoing inspections, and the FAA was informed of the situation, although the specific reason for the inspections was not disclosed.
The FAA stated that it "will ensure that the matter is addressed before the airplanes are returned to service." It is worth noting that Spirit exclusively operates A320 aircraft, and the most recent Airworthiness Directive (AD) related to this type mentioned no U.S. aircraft involvement.
While the airline clarified that this action was taken out of an abundance of caution, it anticipates the impact on its network to last for several days as inspections are carried out and operations return to normal. The majority of affected flights were reported to be at Orlando International Airport, where Spirit Airlines maintains a significant presence.
This year, the airline has canceled over 3,600 flights, accounting for approximately 1.5 percent of its schedule. These cancellations occurred on the eve of Spirit Airlines' upcoming release of its third-quarter earnings, expected on October 26.