Spirit Airlines seeks court approval to auction 20 Airbus A320 jets
Spirit Airlines has moved to sell 20 Airbus A320-family jets through a court-supervised auction as part of its Chapter 11 restructuring process.
The ultra-low-cost carrier filed a motion in federal bankruptcy court seeking approval to proceed with the sale. According to court documents cited by Reuters, aviation asset manager CSDS Asset Management has submitted an initial bid of approximately $533.5 million for the 20 aircraft.
Under the proposed agreement, Spirit would solicit competing offers starting at around $554 million. The auction and final sale hearing are expected to take place in April, subject to court approval.
The airline said the aircraft have been held for sale for some time and that most are not currently in revenue service. If approved, the jets would begin to exit the fleet starting in April 2026.
Spirit stated that proceeds from the transaction would be used to pay down debt associated with the aircraft and to improve liquidity. The carrier added that it does not expect the sale to affect its near-term flight schedule, given that the majority of the 20 A320s are not actively operating.
The sale comes as Spirit navigates its second bankruptcy filing in less than two years. The airline first sought Chapter 11 protection in November 2024 and completed a restructuring in March 2025 before filing again in August 2025 amid continued financial pressure and capacity reductions.
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