Struggling Spirit Airlines, which has invoked multiple measures this year to start making money again, distributed furlough notices to 186 of its pilots over the Labor Day weekend, but the number was considerably smaller than the discount carrier had projected earlier this year, the carrier’s pilots union said.
“Today, Spirit Airlines furloughed 186 pilots,” the Spirit contingent of the Air Line Pilots Association announced in a statement Sunday. The labor group represents the airline’s cockpit crews.
In April, management announced the need to furlough up to 260 pilots starting late this summer as a suspected manufacturing defect in aircraft engines made by Pratt & Whitney forced the airline to start an inspection program that requires the grounding of multiple jets. The company is also deferring the deliveries of new aircraft made by Airbus.
The furloughs were scheduled to start Sept. 1, and management followed through on the plan Sunday, the union said.
The company did not immediately respond to an emailed inquiry Monday to confirm the number announced by ALPA. which said the need for furloughs was mitigated by voluntary actions by the pilots.
“Pilots accepting voluntary leaves, in addition to attrition, have greatly reduced the initial furlough and involuntary downgrade projections,” said Ryan Muller, chairman of the ALPA Master Executive Council at Spirit. “In addition, a significant number of those being furloughed chose voluntary furlough, protecting a more junior pilot’s career. These selfless actions exemplify the very best of our union spirit.”
Muller said “several airlines” whose pilots belong to ALPA have “offered preferential interviews or other benefits for Spirit pilots.”
“Although the furloughed pilots are not currently flying the line at Spirit, they remain part of our union,” Muller said. “We look forward to their return to the flight deck, whether at Spirit or another carrier, and are committed to continuing to support all our pilots.”
Grounded planes, deferred deliveries
Spirit is among the airlines hit hard by problems with Geared Turbofan (GTF) aircraft engines manufactured by Pratt & Whitney.
The airline, which is the busiest in terms of passengers carried at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, said it expected the need to ground 40 of its planes this year, with the situation broadening in 2025 with a possible 70 planes going out of service for precautionary inspections. While the manufacturer is compensating Spirit for business losses, the sidelined aircraft have restricted growth and created an overstaffing problem.
Spirit also reached an agreement with Airbus, maker of the planes in Spirit’s fleet, to postpone the deliveries of new aircraft between the second quarter of 2025 through 2026.
In early August, Spirit posted a $192.9 million net loss for its second quarter of 2024, citing among other factors increased encroachment on its discount space by bigger airlines.
“Summer demand remains robust and load factors have been strong,” Ted Christie, the president and CEO of Spirit, said in the company’s second quarter financial report released last month. “However, significant industry capacity increases together with ancillary pricing changes in the competitive environment have made it difficult to increase yields, resulting in disappointing revenue results for the second quarter of 2024.”
Change in approach
“The continued intense competitive battle for the price-sensitive leisure traveler further reinforces our belief that we are on the right path with our transformation plan to redefine low-fare travel with new, high-value travel options that will allow guests to choose an elevated experience at an affordable price,” Christie added.
That transformation, which took effect in the middle of last month, gives passengers a broader menu of choices when selecting prices and the types of onboard services they wish to buy aboard Spirit’s planes.
The airline is now offering ticketing bundles that include options for premium seats, carry-on bags and Wi-Fi. The new bundles are called “Go Big,” “Go Savvy,” and “Go Comfy.” Spirit’s base fare, called “Go,” allows travelers to pay for additional perks after booking their tickets.
Other consumer-oriented changes include:
- The elimination of fees to change or cancel a reservation. Customers are required only to pay the difference in fares or receive a credit if the new trip costs less than the original.
- Increase in checked bag allowance: It is now up to 50 pounds.
- Future travel vouchers extended: Those issued on or after June 3, 2024, have an extended expiration of 12 months.
Spirit has also broadly revamped its route system, adding destinations that offer the potential of attracting more customers, while dropping routes where profits are less likely.
