Spirit Airlines will force a third of its flight attendants on extended leave as its bankruptcy struggles continue.
With growing debt and rising operational costs, the budget carrier filed for bankruptcy last month for the second time in a year. When it first filed for bankruptcy in November, Spirit had lost more than $2.5 billion since 2020.
Spirit previously announced it was cutting flights in several cities, and now, it is cutting more of its crew members as well. The airline said Monday it plans to involuntarily furlough about 1,800 out of roughly 5,200 flight attendants by December, several news outlets reported.
“We recognize the impact of this decision on affected team members, and we are committed to treating them with care and respect during this process,” Spirit said in a statement.
John Bendoraitis, Spirit’s chief operating officer, said in a memo to flight attendants the airline initially avoided involuntary furloughs by employees taking voluntary leave, per The New York Times. More than 800 flight attendants are currently on leave, Bendoraitis said.
The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, a union that represents Spirit flight attendants, said in a message to its members the budget carrier would look for employees to take a six-month or one-year voluntary furlough starting November 1 and then move on to involuntary leaves based on seniority, according to multiple outlets.
“The problem is that the significant reduction of aircraft and flight hours requires a much higher reduction in force and the company is clear that a furlough is necessary,” the union said.
Earlier this month, Spirit told several outlets it would end service in October to 11 cities.
Here is a full list of cities that Spirit is ending flights to and from:
- Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Birmingham, Alabama
- Boise, Idaho
- Chattanooga, Tennessee
- Oakland, California
- Columbia, South Carolina
- Portland, Oregon
- Sacramento, California
- Salt Lake City, Utah
- San Diego, California
- San Jose, California.
Spirit also announced it was canceling plans to start service in Macon, Georgia, in October.
The airline plans to cut its flight capacity in November by 25 percent compared to November 2024, according to a company memo reported by multiple outlets.
