Spirit Airlines says it will furlough 270 pilots and demote 140 captains to first officers
- Spirit Airlines is making additional staff cuts. The discount carrier will furlough 270 pilots on Nov. 1 and demote 140 from captain to first officer on Oct. 1. The move comes following the airline’s emergence from bankruptcy earlier this year.
Spirit Airlines might have emerged from Chapter 11, but the skies are no friendlier on the other side of bankruptcy.
The discount carrier says 270 pilots will be furloughed as of Nov. 1—and another 140 will be demoted from captain to first officer on Oct. 1.
The announcement comes as demand for coach tickets has been falling industry-wide. Spirit is taking the action in an attempt to put itself on more steady financial footing. The decline in pilots will result in fewer flights in the months ahead.
This is the latest in a line of furloughs for Spirit. The airline let 186 pilots go in 2024 and about 330 in January of that year. In May of this year, it cut 250-350 employees.
Spirit emerged from Chapter 11 in March, following the collapse of its proposed merger with JetBlue in 2024. Prior to that filing, made last October, Spirit had not posted an annual profit since before COVID.
To attract higher-paying customers, the company has launched a business-class option and blocked off the middle seat.
“We are taking necessary steps to ensure we operate as efficiently as possible as part of our efforts to return to profitability,” Spirit said in a statement. “We recognize the weight of this decision and are committed to treating all affected Team Members with compassion and respect during this process.”
Despite its financial issues, Spirit was named Best Airline for 2025 by WalletHub in April.
