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Spirit Plans 365 Pilot Furloughs, Maintenance Closures as Chapter 11 Retrenchment Deepens

Court-approved financing plus an AerCap settlement underpin a drive to cut capacity and costs.

Overview

  • The carrier said up to 365 pilots will be furloughed and as many as 170 captains downgraded to first officers in early 2026, with voluntary attrition potentially reducing the totals.
  • About 1,800 flight attendants are slated for furlough starting Dec. 1, aligning staffing with a smaller fleet and network.
  • Maintenance stations and warehouse operations in Baltimore and Chicago will close Jan. 1, 2026, with additional volume-based staffing adjustments across tech-ops and non-union corporate cuts.
  • Spirit is operating under a second Chapter 11 filed Aug. 29 after securing up to $475 million in debtor-in-possession financing and a settlement under which AerCap pays $150 million as 27 leases are rejected.
  • The airline is trimming its schedule and exiting roughly a dozen cities, including Sacramento, San Jose, Oakland, and San Diego, as it targets a roughly 25% capacity reduction.