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Item 1.01 | Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement.
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As previously disclosed, in July 2023, Pratt & Whitney announced that it had determined that a rare condition in the powdered metal used to manufacture certain engine parts would require accelerated inspection of the PW1100G-JM geared turbo fan (“GTF”) fleet, which powers the A320neo aircraft. Pratt & Whitney notified Spirit Airlines, Inc. (“Spirit”) that nearly all GTF engines in its fleet, including potentially the engines slotted for near term future aircraft deliveries would be subject to the removal and inspection, or replacement, of the powdered metal impacted parts. As a result, Spirit has removed engines from service and grounded some of its A320neo aircraft for inspection requirements.
On March 26, 2024, Spirit entered into an agreement with International Aero Engines, LLC ("IAE"), an affiliate of Pratt & Whitney (the “Agreement”) pursuant to which IAE will provide Spirit with a monthly credit through the end of 2024, subject to certain conditions, as compensation for each Spirit aircraft unavailable for operational service due to GTF engine issues. The estimated impact of the Agreement on Spirit’s liquidity is currently expected to be between $150 million and $200 million, primarily determined by the number of days accumulated in 2024 in which Spirit aircraft are unavailable for operational service due to GTF engine issues. Pursuant to the Agreement, Spirit agreed to release IAE and its affiliates from claims related to the impacted engines that have accrued or may accrue prior to December 31, 2024. Spirit intends to discuss appropriate arrangements with Pratt & Whitney in due course for any Spirit aircraft that remain unavailable for operational service after December 31, 2024.
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Statements
Forward-Looking Statements in this report and certain oral statements made from time to time by representatives of Spirit contain various forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which are subject to the “safe harbor” created by those sections. Forward-looking statements are based on our management’s beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available to our management. All statements other than statements of historical facts are “forward-looking statements” for purposes of these provisions. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terms such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “could,” “would,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “project,” “predict,” “potential,” and similar expressions intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, estimates regarding the impact the Agreement will have on Spirit’s liquidity. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and other important factors that could cause actual results and the timing of certain events to differ materially from future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Factors include, among others, results of operations and financial condition, the competitive environment in our industry, our ability to keep costs low and the impact of worldwide economic conditions, including the impact of economic cycles or downturns on customer travel behavior and other factors, as described in Spirit’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the detailed factors discussed under the heading “Risk Factors” in Spirit’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023. Furthermore, such forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this report. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of such statements. Risks or uncertainties (i) that are not currently known to us, (ii) that we currently deem to be immaterial, or (iii) that could apply to any company, could also materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, or future results. Additional information concerning certain factors is contained in Spirit's Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including but not limited to Spirit's Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and Current Reports on Form 8-K.