Airlines

Spirit airlines announces cabin enhancement

Spirit Airlines reveals new, more spacious seats – Inflight

Spirit Airlines keeps redefining ultra-cheap travel by incorporating cutting-edge design elements into aeroplane seats. Today at the APEX EXPO 2022 event in Long Beach, California, HAECO Cabin Solutions’ new Vector LightTM seats and Vector PremiumTM product for the Big Front Seats® were formally unveiled. To further improve the guest experience, each Vector Light seat will be wider, come with an additional cushion, and have new, more comfortable features.

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With significant seat modifications based on guest feedback, Spirit keeps expanding on that accomplishment. Starting in late January 2023, Spirit will begin receiving new aircraft with the interiors that have been redesign. Over the course of 2023, 33 new A320 Family aircraft will be delivered.

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Spirit continues to support ground-breaking, curved seatback designs that create extra room at the knee level. Comparing this extra space to flatback seats on legacy airlines with the same pitch, there are roughly two more inches of knee room. The industry standard “pitch” metric, which emphasises flatback seats, ignores these additional storage compartments. There also more personal space available to guests than what the “pitch” measurement suggests.

Additionally, the new seats have improved environmental benefits. The weight of each new Vector Light seat will decrease by almost 11 ounces per seat despite the addition of the new features, thanks to advancements in seat frame technology. In a large-scale operation, these seemingly insignificant adjustments have enormous effects, leading to significant decreases in fleetwide fuel consumption.

Spirit’s Elevated Guest Experience

Spirit continues its commitment to Invest in the Guest, which entails a number of initiatives aimed at delivering the best value in the sky:

Spirit’s Fit Fleet® is one of the most fuel-efficient fleets in the industry, with 33 brand new planes projected for delivery in 2023.
The Free Spirit® loyalty program, which is the fastest way to earn rewards and status.
Fast onboard Wi-Fi that allows Guests to watch content from streaming services.

Airlines

Sanctions & Engine Issues Ground Half of Russia’s A320neo fleet

Russia’s aviation sector, already strained by Western sanctions, faces another setback as nearly half of its Airbus A320neo family aircraft are grounded due to unresolved engine issues.

This development highlights the growing challenges for russia commercial aircraft in maintaining their fleets under the weight of global restrictions and limited access to spare parts.

Out of the 66 Airbus A320neo and A321neo jets in Russia, 34 are now out of service, according to the Kommersant business newspaper. These planes are powered by engines manufactured by Pratt & Whitney, a subsidiary of RTX Corporation.

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The engines are affected by a previously identified defect in the metal used for certain parts, prompting accelerated inspections and maintenance.

Sanctions have compounded the issue, blocking the supply of essential components from major manufacturers like Boeing and Airbus. Without proper maintenance, experts warn that these aircraft may face decommissioning as early as 2026.

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Airlines like S7, which operates a significant portion of these grounded jets, plan to conserve the engines for future use during peak travel seasons. However, reports suggest that over 20 of S7’s Airbus planes have engines that have already reached the end of their operational lifespan. Recently, russia seeks assistance from kazakhstan’s airlines to bolster its domestic flights.

While some A320neo and A321neo planes in Russia are equipped with French-made LEAP engines, which are seen as less problematic, the challenges remain daunting.

The situation underscores the long-term impact of sanctions on Russia’s aviation sector and the increasing difficulties in keeping its modern fleets operational.