Spirit Airlines drops plan to furlough 365 pilots
Spirit Airlines has canceled its plan to furlough up to 365 pilots early next year, easing concerns among staff as the carrier continues restructuring under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
The airline did not give a specific reason for the reversal, but the pilots’ union said Spirit updated its staffing model after discussions about attrition assumptions, which no longer matched current trends, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
A company spokesperson confirmed that the furloughs will not proceed. The airline also said the number of captains slated to be downgraded to first officers has been sharply reduced—from 170 to just 25. Spirit currently employs about 2,400 pilots.
The ultra-low-cost carrier filed for Chapter 11 for the second time earlier this year amid falling cash reserves and mounting losses. As part of its cost-cutting efforts, Spirit had previously furloughed around 600 pilots, reduced pay by 8%, and cut retirement contributions by half, with union approval.
The Air Line Pilots Association said that Spirit’s earlier projections no longer aligned with the company’s actual staffing and attrition data, making large-scale furloughs unnecessary.
Spirit continues to restructure its operations, including plans to shrink its fleet, as it works to stabilize finances.
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