Spirit Airlines just hit another milestone in its quest to emerge from its latest months-long bankruptcy proceeding.
The low-cost carrier has recalled hundreds of pilots that were placed on furlough as airline executives attempted to cut costs and slim down Spirit’s operation in order to become more profitable.
The airline told Reuters that 500 furloughed pilots received notices on Monday, and those that accept the offer to return to work will soon be back on the job.
Spirit announced at the end of February that it had reached an agreement in principle with its lenders to emerge from its current bankruptcy restructuring by early summer 2026. The carrier filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy in August 2025 after ending a previous bankruptcy in March 2025.
In addition to furloughing pilots and flight attendants, Spirit has spent recent months attempting to reduce operating costs by shrinking its fleet, cutting routes that were underperforming, and selling off airport slots.
With those measures, the carrier has been able to significantly reduce its debt and lease obligations from $7.4 billion pre-filing down to about $2.1 billion post-emergence, executives said in late February.
Spirit has also predicted that it can become profitable by 2027 by focusing on a new strategy that will prioritize peak travel periods across its route network and fleet and expand its more premium offerings, like its new first class and premium economy seats.
The pilots were reportedly recalled due to higher-than-expected attrition, according to a company memo reported by CNBC. It’s not yet clear if Spirit’s 1,800 flight attendants also on furlough will receive offers to return to work.
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