This was determined by WalletHub, which uses DOT data.
Spirit Airlines has been recognized for its safety and affordability by Wallet Hub, earning the highest ranking in both categories.
Recognition
WalletHub used data from the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) to create its Best Airlines in 2024 report, which found Spirit Airlines to be the most affordable and safest airline in the US. Spirit being named the most affordable airline should not come as a surprise, the airline is an ultra-low-cost-carrier after all. To determine an airline’s safety, WalletHub analyzed the following:
- Number of Fatal Injuries in Aviation Accidents (2018-2023)
- Number of Injuries in Aviation Incidents & Accidents (2018-2023)
- Number of Aviation Incidents & Accidents per Total Number of Flight Operations (2018-2023)
According to WalletHub, any airline with one or more fatalities due to aircraft received no points in the first category. In the second, an airline was awarded full points if there were no injuries sustained by passengers and/or aircraft personnel that required medical care. In order for an airline not to earn any points in this category, it would require an incident with more than 50 injuries that required medical care.
Photo: Spirit Airlines
For the third category, the closer to 0 an airline’s adjusted incident ratio was, the more points it received, and the airline with the lowest ratio received no points. The report also awarded points based on fleet age. Combining everything together, Spirit Airlines had the best score.
Spirit’s President, Ted Christie, said,
“Safety and affordability have always been at the core of our airline, and this recognition by WalletHub truly underscores the values at the heart of everything we do.”
Recent Spirit Airlines news
Spirit is one of the many airlines dealing with the repercussions of the Pratt & Whitney Geared Turbofan (GTF) engine issues. The GTF engines are used to power Airbus A320 family aircraft worldwide, and more than 700 engines are expected to be affected, requiring airlines to ground their aircraft and perform inspections in order to continue flying. As several airlines are affected, they are trying to reach settlements with the engine manufacturer.
Spirit announced in mid-April that it had reached a settlement with Pratt & Whitney worth between $150-200 million. This number was reached based on the number of days Spirit’s planes would be grounded. Though Spirit will not receive a cash payment, the credit will improve its liquidity and cash flow in 2024.
Earlier in the month, the ULCC announced it was deferring some aircraft deliveries and furloughing pilots, Planes that were supposed to be delivered between the second quarter of 2025 and 2026 will now be delivered in 2030 and 2031. This move will improve its liquidity by more than $300 million. The pilot furloughs are also a result of the P&W engine issues, and approximately 260 pilots will be affected.
The pilot furlough goes into effect on September 1 and Spirit had already planned leaves of absence for flight attendants instead of furloughs. In addition, Spirit’s crew base in Atlantic City will close.
Source: Simple Flying
