Performance Measures: Spirit Airlines Compared to All Low-Cost Carriers,,,,,,,,
2006,,,,,,,,
,Spirit,Low-Cost** Carrier Average,Spirit's 2006 Rank Among 7 Low-Cost Carriers ,Comment,,,,
Measure 1: System Operating Profit/(Loss) per Originating Passenger in Dollars,-$9.99,$6.56,6,All of the network*** carriers except Delta and Alaska exceeded the profitability per originating passenger of Southwest,,,,
Measure 2: System Operating Expenses (excluding Regional Jet Contract) per Originating Passenger in Dollars,$138,$123,3,Operating costs per enplanement for low-cost carriers increased mainly due to double-digit fuel cost increases and higher wages for a maturing work force. ,,,,
Measure 3: System Operating Expenses (excluding Regional Jet Contract) per Aircraft in Millions of Dollars,$18.975,$19.144,3,Low-cost carrier operating expenses per aircraft increased by 24 percent from 2001 to 2006. ,,,,
Measure 4: Passenger Revenue per Originating Passenger  (excluding Regional Jet Contract Revenue) in dollars,$118,$122,6,Network and low-cost carriers benefited from fare increases that began in mid-2005.  Low-cost carrier revenue per passenger rose 11 percent from 2001 to 2005 and 8 percent from 2005 to 2006. ,,,,
Measure 5: Full-Time Equivalent Employees* per Aircraft,63,75,2,"The industry showed a wide-range of performance, with AirTran's 62 FTEs per aircraft, the fewest of any carrier, about half the 123 FTEs reported by Delta and ATA.",,,,
Measure 6: Average Monthly Available Seat-Miles (ASMs) per Full-Time Equivalent Employee* in millions of ASMs,232,232,4,Both the network carriers and low-cost airlines substantially improved productivity with more ASMs generated per FTE from 2001 to 2006. ,,,,
Measure 7: Average Monthly Revenue Aircraft Minutes per Full-Time Equivalent Employee* in Minutes,224,234,3,The network carriers improved by 40 percent but the low-cost carrier group has a wide advantage over the network airlines in average monthly revenue air minutes per FTE.,,,,
Measure 8: Average Monthly Originating Passengers per Full-Time Equivalent Employee*,181,173,2,"In 2006, the low-cost carriers generated 173 originating passengers per FTE employee compared to 75 passengers per FTE for the network airlines.",,,,
Measure 9: Fuel Cost in Dollars per Originating Passenger ,$41,$37,2,The low-cost group paid $61 less in fuel costs per originating passenger than the network carriers in 2006.,,,,
Measure 10: Average Full-Time Equivalent Employee* Compensation (Salaries + Benefits) per Originating Passenger in dollars,$33,$39,2,"The financially stronger low-cost carrier group’s compensation expenses increased a modest $4 per originating passenger, reflecting wage increases for the group’s increasingly senior work force partially offset by sustained operational efficiencies.",,,,
Measure 11: Average Annual Full-Time Equivalent Employee* Compensation (Salaries + Benefits) in dollars,"$71,089","$80,873",3,"From 2001 to 2006, low-cost carrier annual compensation costs rose 40 percent while network airline costs were up a more modest 8 percent. ",,,,
Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics,,,,,,,,
* Full-time Equivalent Employee (FTE) calculations count two part-time employees as one full-time employee.,,,,,,,,
"** Low-cost carriers are those that the industry recognizes as operating under a low-cost business model, with fewer infrastructure costs and greater expectations of productivity.",,,,
*** Network carriers operate a significant portion of their flights using at least one hub where connections are made for flights on a spoke system.,,,,
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