< Reveal sidebar

Spirit Further Slashes Workforce

The airline is laying off around 200 employees.

A Spirit Airbus A321 (Photo: Shutterstock | Ron Adar)

Spirit is reducing its workforce even more, according to a Wall Street Journal report. The ultra-low-cost carrier plans to cut 200 jobs in various departments.

The airline filed for bankruptcy in November with a goal of reducing annual costs by $80 million. Last year, Spirit furloughed 186 pilots and will cut around 300 more this month.

“As you all know, we’re facing significant challenges with our business,” CEO Ted Christie wrote to employees in a memo viewed by The Wall Street Journal. “The bottom line is, we need to run a smaller airline and get back on better financial footing.”

Spirit confirmed the job cuts in a statement to Skift. “After reviewing our organizational structure, we have made the difficult decision to eliminate approximately 200 positions,” a spokesperson said.

The airline’s aggressive cost-cutting strategy has included capacity cuts and a reduction in its fleet. Last week, Spirit retired its remaining Airbus A319s and is in the process of selling over 20 older A320 and A321 jets.

Ryan Ewing
Follow Ryan

Author

  • Ryan Ewing

    Ryan founded AirlineGeeks.com back in February 2013 and has amassed considerable experience in the aviation sector. His work has been featured in several publications and news outlets, including CNN, WJLA, CNET, and Business Insider. During his time in the industry, he's worked in roles pertaining to airport/airline operations while holding a B.S. in Air Transportation Management from Arizona State University along with an MBA. Ryan has experience in several facets of the industry from behind the yoke of a Cessna 172 to interviewing airline industry executives. Ryan works for AirlineGeeks' owner FLYING Media, spearheading coverage in the commercial aviation space.

    View all posts

Subscribe to AirlineGeeks' Daily Check-In

Receive a daily dose of the airline industry's top stories along with market insights right in your inbox.

Related Stories

Search Teams Recover More Aircraft Debris From D.C. Crash

Divers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation are searching several underwater targets in the Potomac River that could be more…

FAA Adopts ‘Gulf of America,’ Reverses NOTAM Naming

The Federal Aviation Administration announced Monday that it will be updating its data and charts to reflect several Trump-era name…

Update: Bering Air Crash Site Located

A Bering Air Cessna Caravan disappeared from radar on Thursday in western Alaska. The aircraft was carrying 10 people, of…