Spirit’s pilots have signed off on a labor contract modification that will drop wages and benefits while the ultra-low-cost carrier restructures and works to emerge from its second bankruptcy.
The pilots voted in favor of a deal worked out by Spirit and their labor union, the Air Line Pilots Association, by 82%, with over 78% of the work group participating, ALPA announced on Thursday. The modification is subject to approval by the U.S. bankruptcy court overseeing Spirit’s case.
As part of the agreement, hourly pilot wages will be cut by 8%, and Spirit will decrease 401(k) defined contributions from 16% to 8%. The reductions will take effect Jan. 1, 2026.
ALPA acknowledged last month that the cuts will be difficult for members but said they were needed to avert an even worse outcome that could have been imposed through a Section 1113 filing.
Full restoration of pay will take place through guaranteed increases on Aug. 1, 2028, and Jan. 1, 2029. Company-funded retirement contributions will be fully restored by July 1, 2029.
“This vote represents Spirit pilots’ direct investment in the airline’s future,” Captain Ryan P. Muller, chairman of the Spirit Airlines Master Executive Council, said in a statement. “Spirit pilots made a difficult choice that provides the company with what it needs from labor to secure financing and complete its restructuring.”
All core work rules, including all scheduling and quality-of-life provisions, were preserved, Muller added, and new protections ensure that union members will not face a court-imposed contract rejection.
The pilots also won a $278 million unsecured bankruptcy claim, which gives them a “meaningful stake” in the airline’s future, ALPA said.
