Airbus set to sell 100 jets to Spirit Airlines

Airbus has sold 100 jets to Spirit Airlines in a provisional deal valued at $12.0bn, marking the first sale to a US carrier since the Trump administration moved to slap tariffs on the aerospace manufacturer.

Spirit Airlines announced on Wednesday evening that it had signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the European plane-maker that includes a mix of Airbus A319neo, A320neo, and A321neo models

At 2018 list prices, the deal would be worth around $12.0bn but a discount was expected. It was not known if Spirit had managed to negotiate any tariff-related discount, although the fact that Airbus had a factory in Alabama could make that irrelevant.

Boeing, which accused Airbus of needlessly provoking the tariffs by ignoring World Trade Organization rulings, did not comment on the announcement.

Delivery of the jets were expected through the end of 2027.

"This new order represents another milestone for Spirit," said President and CEO Ted Christie in a press release," he added.

"The additional aircraft will be used to support Spirit’s growth as we add new destinations and expand our network across the U.S, Latin America and the Caribbean."

Spirit was already operating an all-Airbus fleet of 140 jets.

Year-to-date, shares of Spirit had fallen by around 35% but they jumped by nearly 5% after the bell on Wednesday.