Spirit Airlines said Monday it will temporarily furlough a third of its cabin crew workforce—approximately 1,800 flight attendants from its total workforce of around 5,200, effective Dec. 1.
This comes as the budget carrier continues to grapple with severe financial difficulties following its second bankruptcy filing in less than a year. The Florida-based airline is struggling with dwindling cash reserves and mounting operational losses that have persisted despite emerging from bankruptcy protection earlier this year.
The staffing downsize is part of a broader operational restructuring plan that includes a 25 percent reduction in flight capacity by November compared to the previous year. Spirit had previously warned employees about impending job cuts in a memo distributed last Wednesday.
"We need to shift our focus to a complete rightsizing of the airline, which means volume-based adjustments to our flight attendant group," Spirit stated in an email to employees.
Favoring Voluntary Departures
Spirit has maintained its preference for voluntary departures over mandatory layoffs, with more than 800 staff members currently on voluntary absence. The airline will continue offering voluntary furlough options for periods ranging from six months to one year, beginning Nov. 1, even as it proceeds with additional mandatory staffing cuts.The flight attendants' union also said in the same memo that it is working to coordinate preferential interview opportunities for those affected members at other airlines.
Spirit's latest bankruptcy filing happened last month after a previous reorganization failed to establish a sustainable financial foothold. The carrier had emerged from its first Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in March but quickly encountered repeated financial troubles.
Spirit issued a warning in August about much doubt regarding its ability to survive the next 12 months, citing adverse market conditions, including elevated domestic capacity and weak demand for domestic leisure travel. The airline's stock price plummeted 42 percent following the warning.
The company's financial pressures stem partly from minimum liquidity requirements in its debt obligations and credit card processing agreements, which require financial improvements at a faster pace than currently anticipated. Spirit's credit card processor has requested additional collateral for agreement renewal by Dec. 31, potentially reducing available cash reserves.
Despite the challenges, Spirit has said it will continue operations while implementing cost-saving measures. The airline has already furloughed about 270 pilots and demoted 140 others in July as part of larger efforts to cut costs.
Spirit is exploring alternative options to liquidation, including the sale of aircraft and real estate, the elimination of fixed costs, and other transactions to raise capital.
Cheap Seats at Risk
Spirit's financial difficulties have raised concerns about the future of ultra-low-cost air travel for budget-conscious consumers. Major carriers are already positioning themselves to capture market share from the struggling airline."If Spirit suddenly goes out of business, it will be incredibly disruptive, so we're adding these flights to give their customers other options if they want or need them," United's senior vice president, Patrick Quayle, said in a statement.
United's expanded service, beginning Jan. 6, 2026, will include 45 daily flights to Orlando, 30 to Fort Lauderdale, and 43 to Las Vegas.