Latest news with #JohnKirby
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Yahoo
Spirit Airlines to offer flights from Pensacola to Houston
PENSACOLA, Fla. (WKRG) — Spirit Airlines will soon offer nonstop flights from Pensacola to Houston for the summer, according to Pensacola International Airport. Pensacola police: Beware of 'jugging' — 2 people already robbed of thousands The flights will run twice a week, Wednesdays and Saturdays, from July 9 to Aug. 12. Spirit already offers flights out of Pensacola to Dallas-Fort Worth, Orlando and Tampa. 'Spirit Airlines continues to be a strong partner as we expand connectivity for our region,' Pensacola International Airport Executive Director Matt Coughlin said. 'This new service to Houston adds more choice and convenience for our passengers—whether they're heading to Texas or coming to enjoy everything Pensacola has to offer.' Vice President of Network Planning for Spirit Airlines, John Kirby, said they look forward to helping travelers get to the beaches of California. Person drowns off Quietwater Beach in Escambia County, Florida 'Summer is a great time for travelers to explore new destinations, and our new seasonal service between Houston and Pensacola makes it even easier to experience all that Pensacola has to offer,' Kirby said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Skift
06-05-2025
- Business
- Skift
Can Small Cities be Spirit's Savior? Carrier Eyes Underserved Markets in New Deal
This new partnership looks like a smart workaround within the limits of Spirit's operating model. If routes are chosen well, it could be the most creative chapter yet in the carrier's post-bankruptcy playbook. Spirit Airlines, still navigating its post-bankruptcy recovery, is betting on 'historically underserved regions' to help fuel its comeback. The ultra low-cost carrier has announced a strategic partnership with regional operator Contour Airlines. It aims to link Essential Air Service (EAS) markets in the United States with major leisure destinations. The deal gives Spirit access to small cities without the overhead of traditional regional operations. Depending on its scale, it could mark a smart step towards profitable network growth after a challenging few months. According to the companies, the agreement 'will increase connectivity to the national air transportation system and bring affordable travel options to underserved communities across the country.' Contour is best known as one of the largest operators within the U.S. Department of Transportation's EAS program. It currently serves 22 EAS airports across the continental United States, focusing on the Southeast and Midwest. To help balance the books, Contour will provide ground-handling services to Spirit at its existing EAS airports. For Spirit, this avoids the cost of contracting its own independent ground handling agents at off-beat locations which may only be served several times a week. Contour also said it will 'leverage its deep community relationships' to cross-market the new Spirit flights. Low-Cost Model; Low-Cost Entry 'Our new partnership with Contour gives us an exciting opportunity to grow our network and explore low-cost entry into new markets that currently have limited service," said John Kirby, VP of Network Planning at Spirit. The Florida-based budget carrier has not disclosed which new airports it plans to serve. In a joint statement with Contour on Monday it said it will 'introduce service to major leisure destinations from a number of Contour's EAS markets.' The companies added that the partnership will 'significantly expand the utilization and reach of the airports served.' Initial routes are expected to be announced this summer ahead of the all-important winter leisure travel season. While it remains to be seen which airports are served, the deal could mirror the successful strategy of Allegiant Air. The Las Vegas-based operator's business model connects smaller cities – usually with little or no direct competition – with major leisure destinations. "EAS communities no longer need to choose between national connectivity and low fares,' added Contour president, Ben Munson. 'The combination of service from our two airlines is the best formula to grow passenger traffic in these underserved airports.' Contour confirmed that its EAS contract work will continue. This typically sees the carrier fly from underserved markets to major connecting hubs of its partners. These include Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, and United. Spirit Eyes Sustainable Growth The development follows a turbulent year for Spirit Airlines. The carrier filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in November, just months after its proposed merger with JetBlue was struck down in court. Ultra-low-cost rival Frontier previously made an offer to acquire Spirit. However, this was rejected by Spirit's shareholders after JetBlue made an all-cash offer valued at $3.8 billion, which included a higher break-up fee. In January, Frontier management made a renewed bid for Spirit. Writing at the time, Frontier chairman Bill Franke described the proposal as 'a compelling opportunity that will result in more value than Spirit's standalone plan.' This additional approach was promptly knocked back by Spirit, which said it wanted to stick to its plan as a standalone carrier. In March, Spirit Aviation Holdings Inc., the parent company of Spirit Airlines LLC, emerged from its financial restructuring. Last month, former Sun Country Airlines president and CFO Dave Davis was appointed as Spirit's new CEO. Spirit has struggled to turn a profit in recent years for a variety of reasons, including Pratt & Whitney engine issues and sustained demand for premium and international travel. The Allegiant Travel Company, the parent firm of Allegiant Air, is due to report its first-quarter earnings later on Tuesday. How Allegiant's Florida Resort Became a Drain on Its Profits Allegiant wanted to go into the hotel business with a sprawling resort in southwest Florida. Now, just over a year later, it's looking to offload the costly hotel. Read More What am I looking at? The performance of airline sector stocks within the ST200. The index includes companies publicly traded across global markets including network carriers, low-cost carriers, and other related companies. The Skift Travel 200 (ST200) combines the financial performance of nearly 200 travel companies worth more than a trillion dollars into a single number. See more airlines sector financial performance. Read the full methodology behind the Skift Travel 200.
Travel Weekly
05-05-2025
- Business
- Travel Weekly
Spirit Airlines will partner with Contour on small-city service
Spirit Airlines will partner with regional operator Contour Airlines to provide air service to small markets. Under an arrangement announced Monday, Spirit will introduce service in an unspecified number of small cities, connecting them to major leisure markets. The airlines did not announce a launch date for the partnership but said the initial markets will be announced this summer. Contour currently operates federally subsidized Essential Air Service (EAS) routes from American and United hubs to 22 airports. "Our new partnership with Contour gives us an exciting opportunity to grow our network and explore low-cost entry into new markets that currently have limited service," said John Kirby, Spirit's vice president of network planning. Spirit emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy in March. Contour operates EAS routes mostly in the South and the Mountain West, but also in the Midwest and Northeast. Examples of its EAS cities include Muscle Shoals, Ala.; Macon, Ga., Paducah, Ky: and Page, Ariz.
CNN
16-04-2025
- Politics
- CNN
FAA tests drone detection equipment in New Jersey after unexplained drone sightings in the state last year
The Federal Aviation Administration is testing systems to detect drones in New Jersey, after a series of unexplained drone sightings in the state last year raised alarm. The testing, over a two-week period in the community of Cape May, includes about 100 off-the-shelf Unmanned Aerial Systems, commonly called drones, ranging in size from smaller than a pound up to large craft weighing nearly 1,320 pounds, the FAA said in a statement. Equipment being tested by the FAA's Center of Excellence for UAS Research includes Remote ID, Acoustic Array and X-Band radar. 'These tests will help determine the effectiveness of these technologies and whether they might interfere with FAA or aircraft navigation systems,' the agency said. 'The FAA conducted the first of these off-airport tests in Alaska and will conduct additional testing in New Mexico, North Dakota and Mississippi later this year.' While the FAA did not say why they chose New Jersey for the latest test, the area saw hundreds of reports of unexplained drones in the skies in November and December, prompting pressure on federal and local agencies to investigate. 'We assess that the sightings to date include a combination of lawful commercial drones, hobbyist drones and law enforcement drones, as well as manned fixed-wing aircrafts, helicopters, and even stars that were mistakenly reported as drones,' then White House National Security spokesperson John Kirby told reporters in December. Officials have urged calm and emphasized there is no evidence suggesting the sightings posed a security threat. In a video provided to CNN in advance of its release Tuesday evening, Transportation Secretray Sean Duffy criticized the New Jersey 'drone fiasco under the last administration' and vowed to be transparent about what was going on. 'This administration has taken a completely different approach, radical transparency,' he said. 'The FAA is doing this to ensure we can properly detect drones in our airspace and make sure they don't interfere with airplane navigation systems… This is about protecting our national security and American safety.' More than 100 drones are sighted near airports each month, the FAA noted in its statement. Tests conducted by the Secret Service and US Navy on anti-drone systems in Washinton D.C. in March caused collision alerts to go off in several planes approaching to land at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, according to congressional reports.
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
FAA tests drone detection equipment in New Jersey after unexplained drone sightings in the state last year
The Federal Aviation Administration is testing systems to detect drones in New Jersey, after a series of unexplained drone sightings in the state last year raised alarm. The testing, over a two-week period in the community of Cape May, includes about 100 off-the-shelf Unmanned Aerial Systems, commonly called drones, ranging in size from smaller than a pound up to large craft weighing nearly 1,320 pounds, the FAA said in a statement. Equipment being tested by the FAA's Center of Excellence for UAS Research includes Remote ID, Acoustic Array and X-Band radar. 'These tests will help determine the effectiveness of these technologies and whether they might interfere with FAA or aircraft navigation systems,' the agency said. 'The FAA conducted the first of these off-airport tests in Alaska and will conduct additional testing in New Mexico, North Dakota and Mississippi later this year.' While the FAA did not say why they chose New Jersey for the latest test, the area saw hundreds of reports of unexplained drones in the skies in November and December, prompting pressure on federal and local agencies to investigate. 'We assess that the sightings to date include a combination of lawful commercial drones, hobbyist drones and law enforcement drones, as well as manned fixed-wing aircrafts, helicopters, and even stars that were mistakenly reported as drones,' then White House National Security spokesperson John Kirby told reporters in December. Officials have urged calm and emphasized there is no evidence suggesting the sightings posed a security threat. In a video provided to CNN in advance of its release Tuesday evening, Transportation Secretray Sean Duffy criticized the New Jersey 'drone fiasco under the last administration' and vowed to be transparent about what was going on. 'This administration has taken a completely different approach, radical transparency,' he said. 'The FAA is doing this to ensure we can properly detect drones in our airspace and make sure they don't interfere with airplane navigation systems… This is about protecting our national security and American safety.' More than 100 drones are sighted near airports each month, the FAA noted in its statement. Tests conducted by the Secret Service and US Navy on anti-drone systems in Washinton D.C. in March caused collision alerts to go off in several planes approaching to land at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, according to congressional reports.
