Spirit Airlines to Switch Airports at Phoenix

Spirit Airlines is relocating its operations at Phoenix, Arizona’s largest city, from Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport ‒ the city’s main international airport.

The airline will discontinue its operations at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport (IATA code AZA) on October 23 and begin service from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) the following day.

Spirit Airlines operates an all-Airbus A320 family fleet which includes 26 A319s and (including existing orders) up to 70 A320s. Spirit Airlines also has 45 A320neo-family jets on order. Two leased A321s are expected to leave the fleet

Spirit Airlines says it is reaching out to customers currently holding reservations for flights to and from Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, in order to rebook them.

The carrier will offer daily non-stop service between PHX and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) from October 24.

Spirit will launch daily seasonal non-stop service linking PHX with Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) and Denver International Airport (DEN) on November 7, operating these services through April 30, 2014.

On June 20, 2013, at the Paris Air Show, Spirit Airlines announced a new order for 20 Airbus A321 jets and revealed it had changed previously placed orders for 10 A320s to specify A321s instead. All 30 of Spirit’s A321s, to be delivered between 2015 and 2018, feature Sharklet wing-tip devices and will be the first A320-family jets in North America to feature Airbus’ Space-Flex cabin option, which optimizes use of the available space at the very back of the aircraft

The airline’s Phoenix Sky Harbor-Dallas/Fort Worth schedule will see flight NK772 leaving PHX at 1:00 a.m. daily from October 24 and landing at DFW at 5:10 a.m. local time.

In the other direction, flight NK771 will push back from the gate at DFW at 11:15 p.m. and touch down at PHX at 11:35 p.m. local time.

Departure and arrival times in Phoenix will be one hour later effective November 3.

Spirit’s Phoenix Sky Harbor-Chicago O’Hare seasonal schedule calls for flight NK168 to depart PHX at 1:50 a.m. daily from November 7 to April 30 and reach ORD at 6:00 a.m. local time.

The Airbus A319 has provided the backbone of the Spirit Airlines fleet and the carrier will continue to operate a sizable number of A319s, though it is increasingly graduating to the larger A320 and A321 on many routes

In the other direction, flight NK167 will leave ORD at 8:50 p.m. daily and get to PHX at 11:45 p.m. local time.

The carrier’s Phoenix Sky Harbor-Denver seasonal schedule will see flight NK816 begin taxiing at PHX at 1:15 p.m. daily from November 7 through April 30 and touching down at DEN at 3:03 p.m.

In the other direction, flight NK815 is timed to depart DEN at 4:00 p.m. and arrive at PHX at 5:50 p.m.