Spirit Airlines has built their business on the concept of More Go, making it possible for more people to go more places, more often. To do this, keeping the fleet fit is incredibly important, and any AOG (Aircraft On Ground) situation is approached with the upmost urgency. Thankfully, Spirit Airlines has a long-standing relationship with PGL, where we partner to keep those AOG situations as brief as humanly possible.

THE OPPORTUNITY

Spirit Airlines contacted the PGL Aero Desk in Miami about an aircraft grounded in Guayaquil, Ecuador due to engine failure. This necessitated the acquisition of parts from as far away as Detroit, Michigan to be brought together with the replacement engine from Pratt & Whitney located near DFW Airport in North Texas before being packaged and dlivered to the grounded plane.

Only a few aircraft are large enough to carry the new engine assembly, so along with the logistical concerns of gathering parts and acquiring the necessary permits to land in Ecuador, an appropriately-sized airframe must be located for the move.

Multiple moving parts, oversized freight, emergency permitting and a ticking clock? That’s why we’re here.

THE EXECUTION

To accomplish this engine move, the following actions and timelines were in play:

• Time between first contact and quote: Less than 3 hours
• Agreement drafted and signed: Less than 12 hours
• Antanov AN-12 chartered and loaded, wheels up out of DFW: Less than 24 hours after agreement signature.
• Permits secured between the airport and on-site Spirit Airlines representative in the same 24 hour period

PGL negotiated the grounding of the Anatov AN-12 for 72 hours after delivery, allowing for removal and replacement of the engine, with the damaged engine on the return flight back to DFW for Pratt & Whitney to repair.

THE OUTCOME

PGL provided intelligent solutions that go beyond 3PL. The partnership between Spirit Airlines and PGL has been a shining example of how an AOG condition is handled. With 4 to 5 flights per day, a grounded aircraft represents hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost revenue in a single day. The PGL Aero Desk exists to mitigate the effects of such a grounding by moving heaven and earth to get that aircraft repaired and back in service as quickly as possible. That effort is made possible by the dedicated operators that not only make it happen, but make it happen fast, so more people can go more places, more often.

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