Spirit Airlines seeks court approval to auction 20 Airbus aircraft for around $500 million.

According to a court document submitted on Wednesday, Spirit Airlines Holdings Inc. is requesting a bankruptcy judge in New York to approve an auction and potential sale bidding process for 20 Airbus A320/A321AIR.PA aircraft. In August 2025, Spirit Airlines filed for bankruptcy for the second time within a year, stating that selling aircraft is crucial for reducing its fleet size and aligning with its redesigned commercial and network plans. The ultra-low-cost airline stated that selling the aircraft will cut maintenance, storage, and flight costs, and the proceeds will be used to repay aircraft-related debts. The first bidder is aviation asset management company CSDS Asset Management, which has agreed to purchase the 20 aircraft for approximately 5.335 billion dollars. According to the agreement with CSDS, if approved by the court, Spirit will solicit bidders with a starting price of approximately 5.54 billion dollars. The company will hold an auction in April.