A financially beleaguered Spirit Airlines is being forced to make a drastic move.
The ultra-low-cost carrier has been forced to furlough about 300 pilots to save even more money.
This is part of an overall cost-cutting measure. It was only a month ago that Spirit furloughed more than 180 pilots. It also said about a week ago that it was selling 23 planes. That represents 11 percent of Spirit's total fleet.
Several other planes have been grounded by a faulty Pratt & Whitney engine.
The airline has been in a financial downfall, exacerbated by a blocked potential merger with JetBlue Airways.
Spirit also announced a plan to trim $80 million annually, primarily through job cuts. It is likely to begin in the first quarter of 2025.
A Spirit spokesperson said: “We are implementing a series of cost savings initiatives throughout our business, including a reduction in workforce, as part of our comprehensive plan to return to profitability. We have made the difficult decision to furlough approximately 330 Pilots, effective Jan. 31, 2025, to align with our expected flight volume. These decisions are never made lightly, and we are committed to treating all affected Team Members with the utmost care and respect during this process.”
Spirit is also considering a merger with Frontier Airlines, which was the original suitor for the carrier before JetBlue.
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