Spirit Cuts 200 Jobs, Escorts Personnel from HQ

DALLAS — Spirit Airlines (NK) will eliminate approximately 200 nonunion positions across various departments as part of its ongoing restructuring following its Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing in November. 

The ultra-low-cost carrier (ULCC), which employed around 13,000 people at its bankruptcy filing, is aligning its organizational structure with its current fleet size and operations.

The airline told CNBC, "We are executing on plans to rightsize our organization to align with our current fleet size and level of flying and ultimately optimize our airline." According to bankruptcy court documents, about 84% of Spirit's workforce is unionized, and these cuts specifically target non-union positions.

Aviation airline crew groups on social media indicate that armed security personnel were present during employee dismissals at Spirit Central, the airline's headquarters and training center in Dania Beach, Florida.

According to one commentator, "I'd be emotional too if the CEO of the place I worked took a 3.8 million dollar retention bonus and then my position was eliminated in downsizing efforts to trim cost due to the bankruptcy. So armed security seems understandable."

Airways is contacting the ULCC to corroborate if the announced layoffs affect any roles in the training department at Dania Beach, including ground instructors, leadership personnel, and scheduling staff.

Spirit's HQ, a facility spanning over 500,000 square feet of office space located less than three miles from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL), is part of a US$250 million mixed-use development that broke ground in early 2021. 

The complex includes comprehensive training facilities with flight simulators, cabin emergency evacuation trainers, and corporate housing accommodations for up to 400 employees. 

This workforce reduction, which follows reports of early aircraft retirements, represents NK’s latest effort to reduce costs and restructure its operations under bankruptcy protection.

This is a developing story.