e.Digital Corporation (fka EDIG)

[Med.rare]

Spirit weighs up IFE

May 27, 2004 - FLORIDA-BASED Spirit Airlines could be the next leading low-cost operator to throw IFE into its marketing mix.

"We’re currently studying IFE and plan to make a decision this summer," says Lynne Koreman, the airline’s senior director for marketing and communications.

If Spirit does decide to offer inflight entertainment, the chosen system will probably find its first application aboard the 11 Airbus A319s and four A321s that the carrier ordered earlier this month, plus the total of 24 A320-family aircraft it is to lease from International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC). First delivery will be a leased A321 in September.

Spirit aims to become an all-Airbus airline, phasing out its present fleet of MD-80s by 2008. The A319s will seat eight people in Spirit Plus business-class and 130 in economy, the A321s 16 in Spirit Plus and 182 in economy.