NEWARK, N.J. (1010 WINS) -- The United States Department of Transportation awarded 16 runway slots to Spirit Airlines on Tuesday in an attempt to secure “low-cost service options for Newark customers and [improve] competition.”
Consumer groups questioned the decision, given Spirit’s poor record of flight cancellations and delays.
Spirit had the third-lowest rate of on-time flights in the country at 58.5% and the highest rate of canceled flights at 10.3%, according to an April report from USDOT.
Spirit canceled almost 3,000 flights over an 11-day stretch in 2021. The company was unresponsive when customers then sought the refunds they were entitled to, according to a report from the U.S. Public Interest Research Group Consumer Watchdog.
“DOT said this move would boost competition and cut costs for flyers, but there’s more to competition than just cost. The cost of a flight doesn’t mean much if it doesn’t get you there,” a PIRG spokesperson to NJ.com.
USDOT will require Spirit to report information on disruptions more frequently than other airlines due to concerns about the company’s track record.
The Florida-based company won out over JetBlue, which had applied for all 16 slots, and Alaska Airlines, which had applied for four.
Southwest has held the takeoff and landing rights since 2010.
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