Chinese carrier Spring Airlines will celebrate 17 years since commencing operations this year, having first taken to the skies in July 2005. During this time, it has amassed a fleet of more than 100 aircraft. All of these are twin-engine Airbus designs, but which models exactly?

Original A320s

According to data from ch-aviation.com, there are currently 113 aircraft in the Spring Airlines fleet. The Airbus A320-200 is the dominant type at the Shanghai-based low-cost carrier, with 80 examples present. These account for more than 70% of the fleet as a whole.

At the time of writing, ch-aviation listed 76 of the A320-200s, otherwise known as the A320ceo ('Current Engine Option'), as being active. Two of the remaining four were undergoing maintenance at the time, with the other two in storage in Shanghai and Xi'an.

Historically speaking, Spring Airlines has operated a further eight examples of the A320-200. These left the carrier between December 2010 and April 2015. The carrier configures its A320ceos with an all-economy setup that accommodates 186 passengers.

Spring Airlines Airbus A320
Privately owned Spring Airlines reported a loss of 1.62 billion to 1.92 billion yuan for the first half of 2022, compared with a profit in 2021. Photo: Getty Images

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Next-generation A320neos

While the original A320 series remains the dominant force when it comes to Spring Airlines' fleet, newer models are becoming increasingly prevalent. Indeed, the carrier also flies 24 examples of the next-generation A320neo ('New Engine Option'). All of these twinjets, which have an average age of just 1.8 years old, were active at the time of writing.

Data from ch-aviation also shows that Spring Airlines has another 27 examples of the A320neo on order. This will eventually bring its total fleet size for the type up to 51 aircraft.

The Shanghai-based low-cost carrier began receiving its A320neos in October 2018, and the most recent arrivals joined the fleet in December 2021. As seen in the photograph below, one of the A320neos represented Spring Airlines' 100th aircraft delivery. Much like its older A320s, the carrier has fitted each of its A320neos with 186 economy class seats.

Spring Airlines Airbus A320neo
Spring Airlines' 100th aircraft delivery came in the form of an Airbus A320neo. Photo: Airbus

Going long: the A321neo

Spring Airlines also has the ability to accommodate higher passenger loads on its nine active stretched-fuselage Airbus A321neos. These narrowbodies are just 1.1 years old on average, and can accommodate a dense 240 passengers. According to Runway Girl Network, this is made possible by the presence of additional exit rows in place of second main door.

Spring Airlines has a further seven examples of the A321neo on order, which will eventually bring its total contingent to 16 aircraft. It began taking deliveries of the type in September 2020, with the most recent example having come onboard last year, in October 2021.

According to aircraft utilization data from RadarBox.com, Spring Airlines' A321neos are its busiest aircraft in terms of flight hours per day. They clock up an average of 8.5 hours, compared to 8.4 for its A320-200s, and 8.2 for its A320neos. They do so across an average of 3.9 flights a day, with the average sector for the type at Spring Airlines lasting 2.2 hours.

What do you make of Spring Airlines' present fleet? Have you ever flown with the Shanghai-based low-cost carrier? Let us know your thoughts and experiences in the comments.