Spirit
A Spirit A320neo taxiing at George Bush Intercontinental Airport. Photo: F/O Devin Drummond (Spirit)
At A Glance
Pilots joined ALPA: 1996
Number of pilots: 3,218 active pilots and 164 furloughed pilots
Pilot bases: Atlanta, Ga.; Dallas and Houston, Tex.; Detroit, Mich.; Fort Lauderdale/Miami (co-domicile) and Orlando, Fla.; Las Vegas, Nev.; Newark, N.J.; and Chicago, Ill.
Hubs/key markets: Atlanta, Ga.; Detroit, Mich.; Dallas and Houston, Tex.; Fort Lauderdale, Miami, and Orlando, Fla.; Las Vegas, Nev.; Newark, N.J.; and Chicago, Ill.
Headquarters: Dania Beach, Fla.
Operations: Spirit operates approximately 550 daily flights to over 77 destinations throughout the U.S., Central America, the Caribbean, and South America.
Fleet: 64 A320s, 91 A320neos, 30 A321s, and 28 A321neos. However, Spirit’s operating fleet is much smaller due to the ongoing sale of 23 A320s/A321s, as well as a fluctuating number of aircraft out of service due to ongoing Pratt & Whitney engine issues.
Last year brought significant challenges for Spirit Airlines pilots, including marked workforce reductions, financial struggles, and an eventual Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing. As Spirit navigates its restructuring, 2024 highlighted the resilience and unity of its pilots. Looking ahead to 2025, remaining informed and engaged will be critical as the pilot group continues to stand unified and work to secure a stronger future.
After a federal court blocked a merger with JetBlue Airways in January, financial pressures continued to escalate throughout the year. On April 8, Spirit announced plans to furlough 260 first officers, downgrade 130 captains, and close the Atlantic City, N.J., pilot domicile by September 1, with additional downgrades planned for 2025. In response, the pilot group’s Master Executive Council (MEC) ratified the Furlough Mitigation Leave Memorandum of Understanding (FML MOU) on May 31, resulting in furlough cancellations through voluntary unpaid leaves and attrition exceeding company projections.
Financial strains were evident in October, as Spirit announced a reduction to its schedule capacity and disclosed the sale of 23 aircraft. On October 30, the company announced an additional 330 furloughs and 120 downgrades effective Jan. 31, 2025. To mitigate these impacts, FML MOU2 was ratified on November 1, expanding access to outside flying leaves and including metrics to cancel furloughs and downgrades based on voluntary leaves and resignations.
On November 18, Spirit filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York. Management described this as a “surgical” financial restructuring to stabilize the company’s balance sheet while continuing normal operations. During court proceedings, Spirit affirmed it wouldn’t seek to impair the pilot contract, and pilots’ pay and benefits would remain unaffected. Spirit anticipates emerging from bankruptcy by this March.
Throughout these events, the MEC has been steadfast in protecting the pilots’ collective bargaining agreement and ensuring transparency. Pilots remain unified as they’re encouraged to focus on professionalism and safe operations while union leaders continue Section 6 bargaining efforts and provide regular updates.
