Spirit Airlines Reports First Quarter 2016 Adjusted Pre-Tax Margin of 21.3 Percent (1)

MIRAMAR, Fla., April 26, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Spirit Airlines, Inc. (NASDAQ:SAVE) today reported first quarter 2016 financial results.

• Adjusted net income for the first quarter 2016 was $72.3 million ($1.01 per diluted share)¹.  GAAP net income for the first quarter 2016 was $61.9 million ($0.86 per diluted share).
  
  
• Adjusted pre-tax margin for the first quarter 2016 was 21.3 percent¹.  On a GAAP basis, pre-tax margin for the first quarter 2016 was 18.2 percent.
   
• Unrestricted cash and cash equivalents as of March 31, 2016 was $902.8 million.
   
• Spirit's return on invested capital (before taxes and excluding special items) for the twelve months ended March 31, 2016 was 28.3 percent².

“I want to thank our Spirit team members for their contributions in achieving these solid first quarter results.  The pricing environment remains very competitive, but we aren't just sitting passively by.  We have upgraded our pricing systems, made modest revisions to our schedules, and adjusted our approach to inventory management, all of which have produced improvements to our revenue results," said Bob Fornaro, Spirit’s Chief Executive Officer.  "As we head into the peak summer travel months, we are focused on continued cost and revenue execution, improving our operational reliability and providing friendly customer service."

Revenue Performance
For the first quarter 2016, Spirit's total operating revenue was $538.1 million, an increase of 9.1 percent compared to the first quarter 2015, driven by an increase in flight volume, partially offset by a decrease in operating yields.

Total revenue per passenger flight segment ("PFS") for the first quarter 2016 decreased 13.0 percent, or $16.08, year over year to $107.88, primarily driven by a 20.5 percent decrease, or $14.06, in ticket revenue per PFS.  Non-ticket revenue declined 3.7 percent, or $2.02, year over year on a per flight segment basis to $53.23.  Although non-ticket revenue per passenger segment remains relatively stable, the Company has experienced modest pressure on take rates for certain ancillary items which it believes is correlated to low fare levels in its markets.

Cost Performance
Adjusted operating expense for the first quarter 2016 increased 10.2 percent, or $39.0 million, to $420.4 million³ on a capacity increase of 26.5 percent year over year.  During the first quarter 2016, the Company purchased two A319 aircraft it formerly financed under operating lease agreements which resulted in lease termination charges.  GAAP total operating expenses, including special items of $16.4 million⁴ that are primarily driven by lease termination charges, increased 13.7 percent, or $52.7 million, year over year to $436.8 million.

Economic fuel expense decreased 23.5 percent, or $24.7 million, year over year on a 24.4 percent increase in fuel volume.  This decrease was driven by a 37.4 percent decrease in the average economic fuel cost per gallon compared to the same period last year.

Spirit reported first quarter 2016 cost per available seat mile ("ASM") excluding special items and fuel (“Adjusted CASM ex-fuel”)³ of 5.59 cents, a decrease of 2.3 percent compared to the same period last year, driven primarily by lower aircraft rent per ASM.  The decrease in aircraft rent per ASM was driven by a change in the mix of leased (rent recorded under aircraft rent) and purchased (depreciation recorded under depreciation and amortization) aircraft.  This benefit was partially offset by higher other operating expense related to increased passenger re-accommodation expense, and higher depreciation and amortization expense related to the depreciation of aircraft.  Additionally, during the first quarter 2016, the Company and its flight attendants, represented by the Association of Flight Attendants - CWA (AFA), reached a tentative agreement for a five-year contract.  During the first quarter 2016, labor expense per ASM was higher year over year due to the accrual of a one-time ratification incentive payment of $8.4 million related to this tentative agreement.

"Our greatest competitive strength is our relative cost advantage.  We are focused on getting better all the time and doing so while maintaining, or improving upon, our relative cost advantage," said Ted Christie, Spirit's Chief Financial Officer.  "After adjusting for the economic impact of our tentative flight attendant agreement, including the $8.4 million ratification incentive accrual, we are confident we can hold the line on costs and now estimate our full year 2016 adjusted CASM ex-fuel will be about flat year over year."

Fleet
During the first quarter 2016, Spirit took delivery of 4 new aircraft (2 A320ceo and 2 A321ceo aircraft), ending the quarter with 83 aircraft in its fleet.

Conference Call/Webcast Detail
Spirit will conduct a conference call to discuss these results today, April 26, 2016, at 8:30 a.m. ET.  A live audio webcast of the conference call will be available to the public on a listen-only basis at http://ir.spirit.com.  An archive of the webcast will be available under Webcasts & Presentations for 60 days.

About Spirit Airlines:
Spirit Airlines (NASDAQ:SAVE) is committed to offering the lowest total price to the places we fly, on average much lower than other airlines. Our customers start with an unbundled, stripped-down Bare Fare™ and get Frill Control™ which allows them to pay only for the options they choose - like bags, seat assignments and refreshments - the things other airlines bake right into their ticket prices. We help people save money and travel more often, create new jobs and stimulate business growth in the communities we serve. With our Fit Fleet™, the youngest fleet of any major US airline, we operate more than 400 daily flights to 56 destinations in the U.S., Latin America and the Caribbean. Come save with us at www.spirit.com.

Investors are encouraged to read the Company's periodic and current reports filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and Current Reports on Form 8-K, for additional information regarding the Company.

End Notes
(1)  See "Reconciliation of Adjusted Net Income to GAAP Net Income" table below for more details.
(2)  See "Calculation for Return on Invested Capital" table below for more details.
(3)  See "Reconciliation of Adjusted Operating Expense to GAAP Operating Expense" table below for more details.
(4)  See "Special Items" table for more details.

Forward-Looking Statements
Statements in this release and certain oral statements made from time to time by representatives of the Company contain various forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act) which are subject to the “safe harbor” created by those sections. Forward-looking statements are based on our management’s beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available to our management. All statements other than statements of historical facts are “forward-looking statements” for purposes of these provisions. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terms such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “could,” “would,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “project,” “predict,” “potential,” and similar expressions intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and other important factors that could cause actual results and the timing of certain events to differ materially from future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, those identified below. Furthermore, such forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this report. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of such statements. Additional risks or uncertainties (i) that are not currently known to us, (ii) that we currently deem to be immaterial, or (iii) that could apply to any company, could also materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, or future results. You should carefully consider the risks described below and the other information in this report. If any of the following risks materialize, our business could be materially harmed, and our financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected. References in this report to “Spirit,” “we,” “us,” “our,” or the “Company” shall mean Spirit Airlines, Inc., unless the context indicates otherwise.  Additional information concerning these and other factors is contained in the Company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including but not limited to the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and Current Reports on Form 8-K.

1. Excludes special items.
2. Excludes economic fuel expense and special items.

The Company is providing a reconciliation of GAAP financial information to non-GAAP financial information as it believes that non-GAAP financial measures provide management and investors the ability to measure the performance of the Company on a consistent basis.  These non-GAAP financial measures have limitations as an analytical tool.  Because of these limitations, determinations of the Company's operating performance excluding unrealized gains and losses or special items should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for performance measures calculated in accordance with GAAP.

1. Special items include unrealized gains and losses related to outstanding outstanding fuel derivative contracts, loss on disposal of
   assets, and special charges.  Special charges for the first quarter 2016 are primarily related to lease termination costs.
2. Excludes operating special items.
3. Excludes operating special items and economic fuel expense as described in the "Reconciliation of Economic Fuel Expense to GAAP
   Fuel Expense" table below.
   
   

1. See "Special Items" for more details.
2. Excludes operating special items.
3. Assumes same marginal tax rate as is applicable to GAAP net income.

The Company believes economic fuel expense is the best measure of the effect fuel prices are currently having on our business, because it most closely approximates the net cash outflow associated with purchasing fuel used for our operations during the period. Economic fuel expense is defined as into-plane fuel expense, realized gains or losses on derivative contracts, plus the economic premium expense related to fuel option contracts in the period the option is benefiting. The key difference between aircraft fuel expense as recorded in our statement of operations and economic fuel expense is unrealized mark-to-market changes in the value of aircraft fuel derivatives outstanding and the timing of premium gain or loss recognition on our outstanding fuel option contracts. Many industry analysts evaluate airline results using economic fuel expense, and it is used in our internal management reporting.

1. Special items include unrealized gains or losses related to outstanding fuel derivative contracts, loss on disposal of assets, and special charges primarily related to lease termination costs in the first quarter 2016.
2. Excludes special items as described above.
3. Assumes same marginal tax rate as is applicable to GAAP net income for the twelve months ended March 31, 2016.