A Spirit Airlines plane undergoes operations in preparation for departure on the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Austin, Texas, on Feb. 12, 2024.
Brandon Bell | Getty Images
Spirit Airlines is planning to furlough about 1,800 flight attendants, roughly a 3rd of its cabin crew members, to reduce prices because the funds airline struggles in its second bankruptcy in lower than a 12 months.
“As we work to return Spirit to profitability, we face difficult decisions about our network, our fleet, and ultimately our workforce,” John Bendoraitis, Spirit’s chief working officer, wrote in a memo despatched to flight attendants on Monday, which was reviewed by CNBC.
CNBC reported final week that CEO Dave Davis had warned employees about job cuts as Spirit appears to be like to shrink its fleet in an effort to stabilize its enterprise.
Some 800 Spirit flight attendants have already been out on voluntary leaves of absence, which has helped the airline keep away from involuntary furloughs, Bendoraitis stated.
“However, there is a limit to how many people can volunteer for these types of leave, and we have reached that mark,” he stated.
The airline will first supply voluntary furloughs, so the ultimate variety of cabin crew members who will probably be affected wasn’t instantly clear. Flight attendants can apply for voluntary furlough leaves of six or 12 months and can retain medical advantages, their union, the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, stated in a word to members on Monaday that was additionally reviewed by CNBC.
AFA stated it’s working with union chapters at different airways to assist affected flight attendants get “preferential interviews” with different carriers. Involuntary furloughs will take impact on Dec. 1, AFA stated.
Spirit did not instantly touch upon the furloughs.
Spirit has additionally furloughed tons of of pilots, and executives advised the airline’s pilots’ union that it’s in search of $100 million in cost cuts from its aviators.
Bendoraitis advised the union, the Air Line Pilots Association, final week that that administration is “available to continue to negotiate every day thereafter to reach a consensual agreement” by Oct. 1. Under the chapter course of, nonetheless, the airline may discover aid outdoors of the pilots’ labor contract.