The US low-cost carrier spirit airline partners with local airlines Contour Aviation in a transaction aimed at connecting popular leisure destinations with the Essential Air Service (EAS) market.
It describes itself as the second largest airline in the U.S. Department of Transportation’s EAS program. This is supporting subsidies for flights to small and non-hub airports, and on May 5th, Conto stated that “introducing services to major leisure destinations from the EAS market of many contouring.”
“The spirit and contour partnership significantly expands the use and reach of the airports offered,” Contour says.
The Tennessee-based career currently serves 22 cities through the EAS program, saying it will “use deep community ties to market spirit flights.”
Under the leadership of new CEO Dave Davis, Spirit has been seeking new revenue streams following financial restructuring through the Chapter 11 bankruptcy process. This includes pushing upscale customers, providing a bunch of new fares, and exploring new mid-sized markets.
“The new partnership with Contour offers an exciting opportunity to grow our network and explore low-cost entry into new markets where services are currently limited,” says John Kirby, Spirit’s vice president of network planning.
In particular, the Trump administration’s recently revealed “Skinny” 2026 budget request includes a $308 million cut to the EAS program, which represents a dramatic reduction in annual spending.
The Contour is partially owned by Skywest Airlines and mainly flies the Embraer ERJ135 in the southeastern United States.
