US Discount Carrier Spirit Airlines is acknowledging plans to cut another 270 pilots as part of its plans to cut back on operations and return to profitability.
“As part of our efforts to get back to profitability, we are taking the necessary steps to operate as efficiently as possible. Among these steps, we have made the difficult decision to strike around 270 pilots,” says the Florida-based airline.
The staff cuts will come into effect on November 1st and will help airlines “go better flight schedules and staffing,” Spirit says. “We recognize the weight of this decision and are committed to treating all the team members affected during this process with compassion and respect.”
Additionally, Spirit says it will downgrade around 140 captains to first officers effective October 1st.
The move is the latest in some recent workforce cuts by the Spirit, with 3,020 pilots appearing on the roll last year.
In the first quarter of this year, the airline struck 200 pilots, removing another 200 positions from various sectors, cutting 2,192 spirit cuts in 2024.
The company emerged from bankruptcy proceedings in March and lost $289 million in the first quarter of the year, compared to a loss of $207 million over the same period in 2024.
Some US low-cost airlines struggled financially last year due to oversupplying seats for discounted airlines, executives say.
Spirit and Ultra Low Cost competitor Frontier Airlines has been the biggest variant of its aircraft family in recent years, and is seen as contributing to that issue by acquiring more Airbus A321s, a spirit and frontier pack type with around 230 seats.
