where is Spirit Airlines Newark Airport located

Spirit Airlines Newark Airport

Spirit Airlines' two and a half year-long struggle to expand Newark Liberty International Airport at Newark Liberty International Airport came to an end. The U.S. Department of Transportation granted the 16 peak "runway timings," which are rights to take-off or land at any airport within a certain hour, to the discounter. This was in response to a lawsuit filed by Spirit in December 2019.

According to the DOT, the timings were not available to budget airlines and would increase competition at New York City's airport. According to the regulator, JetBlue Airways and Alaska Airlines also requested the landing and take-off rights.

United Airlines operates over 70% of flights from Newark to Newark. Newark is the hub of United Airlines. These timings were used previously by Southwest Airlines, but they were discontinued by the carrier in 2019. They were acquired by Southwest Airlines in 2010 as part of United's merger to Continental Airlines.

This award is part of a three way war of words between JetBlue and Spirit over Newark congestion. JetBlue and Spirit accuse United and the Federal Aviation Administration of overscheduling Newark's already congested airport. However, United has repeatedly claimed that it was the fault of its smaller competitors. To combat delays, United reduced its schedule at Newark to roughly 50 daily flights in June.

The DOT might need to re-award timings if JetBlue wins the hostile offer for Spirit. If shareholders approve the plan, the former carrier has promised to divest all assets of Spirit in New York and Boston -- including Newark. Vote by Spirit shareholders on Frontier's proposal Friday.

Spirit Airlines receives 16 additional runway slots at Newark Airport. Concerns raised by a consumer group

After 16 runway slots were re-assigned by federal officials to Florida-based airline, travelers will be able to see more yellow Spirit Airlines aircraft take off from Newark Liberty International Airport.

Officials from the U.S. Department of Transportation stated that Southwest Airlines will be reassigning peak hour runway timings to Newark Airport in order to offer low-cost options and increase competition.

A consumer watchdog group challenged the decision. They cited Spirit's poor record in cancelling flights and its poor performance on-time performance, as well as the USDOT report that was released as recently as April.

Southwest Airlines had operated the 16 runway timing reassignments since 2010, when it bought them from the Department of Justice as part of a Department of Justice remedy in order to ensure fair competition after merger with United-Continental.

Spirit and JetBlue Airways applied recently for 16 of the timings at Southwest. Alaska Airlines applied only for four.

Federal transportation officials concluded that Spirit is best equipped to compete with all 16 slots, and will offer the lowest fares to most consumers.

"We are grateful for the DOT's thoughtful analysis, and we are happy to see this process end. Spirit will promote competition and continue to offer high-value, affordable travel options for guests travelling in and out Newark and the New York Metropolitan area," Erik Hofmeyer, a Spirit spokesperson, said.

Critics questioned if the new assignments would help alleviate the travel issues seen during the July Fourth holiday weekend. This was referred to by U.S. Public Interest Research Group, a consumer watchdog.

"This is a strange decision that we don't know is in the best interests of consumers," Teresa Murray, PIRG Consumer Watchdog, said to NJ Advance Media.

"DOT claimed that this move would increase competition and reduce costs for flyers. But there's more to competition then just cost. She said that the cost of a flight does not mean much if it doesn’t get you there.

According to a federal report, Spirit had the third highest on-time arrival rate and most flights cancelled in April 2022 according to a June 2022 federal report.

Murray stated that Spirit has been plagued by high levels of complaints and cancellations over the past couple of years. How do you reward this by giving the airline longer take-off and landing times at the busiest airport in the country?

Spirit spokesmen said that the airline performed better in June. They also cited USDOT reports which stated Spirit was better than April numbers in March or February. Spirit's 538 Newark arrivals were on time in March. This is almost 60%. According to USDOT, all arriving flights at Newark experienced a 70%-time rate in March.

Erik Hofmeyer, a spokesperson, stated that "this summer, we're operating one of the most efficient operations in the industry with high completion factors and on-time performance." Spirit has one of the most efficient fleets in the industry, and it is also the youngest.

He mentioned Cranky Flier as a popular industry blog. In a recent article, he wrote "Spirit and Alaska... You both deserve a standing ovation because you are the most reliable operators this June."

According to Spirit's website, it currently offers 500 daily flights to 67 destinations across the U.S., Latin America and the Caribbean. Hofmeyer stated that Spirit will be offering up to 24 daily departures from 14 destinations this month. One new destination is Oakland, California, which will begin next month.

He stated that "we plan to keep our existing routes, who have grown over time, and we will share details for new services additions at a later stage."

This announcement comes after a difficult holiday weekend in which tens of thousands of travelers across the country had their flights delayed or cancelled due to busy Fourth of July weekend.

According to Flight Tracking Website FlightAware, Newark was the sixth-most problematic airport Monday due to delays and cancellations.

Friday saw 67 flights cancelled in Newark, which is 6.1%. Another 472 flights were also cancelled, which is almost 43%.

Saturday saw 84 cancellations, which is 8.5% of the total, and 28.3% (279 flights) were delayed. On Sunday, 33 flights were cancelled, which is 3.2% of the total. The total number of flights delayed was 174, which is 16.6%.

Conditions apply to the Newark Airport runway space assignment.

Spirit will need to report additional information on disruptions to customers and its ability to offer accommodations.

Federal transportation officials stated in a statement that the reporting requirements would allow the department monitor Spirit's ability deliver customer commitments and enable the department better quantify the financial impacts of operational disruptions to travelers.

Spirit spokesperson said that the airline would comply with the new reporting requirements.

Hofmeyer stated that Spirit is in communication with federal regulatory agencies and that they follow all laws, regulations, and requirements.

Friday's letter from PIRG to the FAA outlined three steps to protect customers and should be included in the reauthorization legislation for 2023 Federal Aviation Administration.

The FAA should establish an industry-wide reciprocity arrangement, which would hold airlines responsible for delayed or cancelled flights and require clearer notices from passengers regarding their legal rights to compensation.

According to the group, the FAA should adopt FAIR Fees Act - abbreviated for the Forbidding Airlines from Imposing Ridiculous Fees Act - in its 2023 reauthorization. This would ban airlines from charging passengers for baggage and seating, as well as any other fees that PIRG considers unreasonable. They asked for more enforcement of passenger protections, giving the power to the state attorneys general to enforce federal consumer protection laws.

As Frontier and Spirit airlines explore merging, the Newark reassignment comes at a time when Newark's runway slots are being re-allocated. A shareholder vote on the merger, originally scheduled for June 30, was delayed to Friday. According to the Associated Press, this will allow Spirit more time for talks with Frontier and JetBlue Airways. JetBlue Airways is also bidding on Spirit.