Spirit Airlines to furlough 270 pilots in restructuring plan
The furloughs go into effect on Nov. 1, the U.S. pioneer of no-frills travel confirmed in a statement to USA TODAY Monday, July 28, adding that the decision will better support its flight staffing schedule.
Additionally, the airline confirmed plans to downgrade the positions of 140 pilots as soon as Oct. 1.
"We are taking necessary steps to ensure we operate as efficiently as possible as part of our efforts to return to profitability," the airline said. "We recognize the weight of this decision and are committed to treating all affected Team Members with compassion and respect during this process."
The furloughs were first reported by Bloomberg News, which stated that the budget carrier has aimed to rebrand itself as a premium airline.
Airline emerged out of bankruptcy in March
The furloughs and downgrading come as the airline finished emerging from bankruptcy in March.
In early 2024, a planned merger with JetBlue Airways valued at $3.8 billion fell through. Prearranged Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection granted the company a $350 million equity investment from existing bondholders.
Last month, Spirit Airlines urged the Transportation Department to reject a proposed partnership between JetBlue Airways and United Airlines that would allow customers to book flights on both carriers' websites. Under the deal, travelers could also earn and use points interchangeably between their frequent flyer programs.
Spirit accused the partnership of being anticompetitive, arguing that it would encourage other large carriers to follow suit.
"This anticompetitive tie-up involving a dominant legacy carrier will neutralize the competitive benefit of an existing low-fare competitor," Spirit said.
Contributing: Reuters and Zach Wichter, USA TODAY
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