Spirit Airlines has operated numerous types of aircraft since it began operations in 1980 as a Detroit-based charter tour company known as Charter One. The airline operated propeller aircraft until it began purchasing jets. The airline acquired and operated second-hand McDonnell Douglas jets until 2004 when it began purchasing new Airbus equipment.
Spirit, which as a charter operation had outsourced flying, leased two Convair 580 turboprops for its charter operations. The Convairs were retired after the airline acquired its first jet aircraft.
Spirit capitalized on the shutdown of Midway Airlines during the early 1990s by purchasing four DC-9 aircraft. The airline's fleet included 10 DC-9s by 1994. These were phased out beginning in 1997.
In late 1997, Spirit began replacing its aging DC-9s with larger, more fuel efficient MD-80s. The new planes allowed the airline to carry more passengers, fly to more distant markets and compete more effectively with larger rivals. The airline operated 14 MD-80s before retiring them.
Spirit began to replace its MD-80 fleet in fall 2004 with new Airbus aircraft. The airline acquired the A319 and the A321 models, which provided further fuel savings and service flexibility. Spirit also exercised an option to purchase 30 A320 aircraft, which will, in time, replace the larger A321s.
Spirit operates 26 Airbus A319s and two Airbus A321 aircraft. The A319s are configured to hold 145 passengers while the A321s hold 218 passengers. The airline will begin to add A320s to its fleet in 2010. As of July 2009, the airline's average fleet age is 3.1 years old.
