Spirit Airlines plans to furlough a third of its cabin crew following the airline’s second bankruptcy filing this year.
According to a Reuters report, the no-frills carrier will temporarily lay off about 1,800 flight attendants effective December 1, 2025, a move that underscores the depth of the financial strain at the struggling airline.
The furloughs, which affect roughly one-third of Spirit’s 5,200 flight attendants, will begin with a voluntary program on November 1 offering six-month to one-year leaves of absence. Involuntary furloughs will follow soon after. The airline said it must bring staffing in line with a sharply reduced schedule as it pares back capacity in the months ahead.
Spirit filed for Chapter 11 protection in New York on August 29, less than six months after emerging from its first bankruptcy in March 2025. Management had restructured debt and raised equity earlier this year, but losses continued to mount as higher labor costs, lease expenses, and sluggish demand in some leisure markets eroded any gains.
Spirit explained that furloughs are needed to match its workforce to a smaller schedule and emphasized that flight attendants placed on leave could return if demand improves and flying picks back up.
As part of its new restructuring plan, Spirit said it is also cutting flights by 25 percent compared with last year, effective this November. The airline notes this will reduce costs tied to fuel, maintenance, and airport fees while focusing service on its strongest markets.
Union leaders are warning their members to brace for a difficult period. The Association of Flight Attendants called the furloughs “devastating,” while pilot groups have highlighted the risk of further cuts as Spirit seeks hundreds of millions in savings across its labor contracts. Internal memos reported on by Reuters said management is targeting about $100 million in annual pilot cost reductions, alongside other efficiency moves.
Spirit insists that customer operations will not be disrupted during bankruptcy. Tickets, schedules, and its Free Spirit loyalty program remain intact. The airline continues to pay employees, honor benefits, and maintain vendor obligations, supported by bankruptcy financing, it said. Spirit CEO Dave Davis has said the second filing reflects lessons learned from the earlier restructuring, which did “not go far enough” to fix the airline’s balance sheet and operations.
Other carriers are watching as Spirit contracts. United Airlines’ chief executive Scott Kirby recently said his company has no interest in bidding for Spirit’s assets, while Frontier Airlines has been quick to expand service into airports where Spirit is reducing capacity. The moves could reshape the ultra-low-cost market in the US, especially if Spirit emerges smaller and more regionally focused.
Spirit’s troubles point to the broader challenges of running an ultra-low-cost model in today’s environment. The airline built its brand around rock-bottom fares and unbundled service, but that model is under pressure as labor, leasing, and fuel costs rise. With discretionary leisure travel demand softening in some domestic markets, Spirit’s razor-thin margins have left little room to maneuver.
The path forward for Spirit depends on its ability to win approval of its new restructuring plan in court and to persuade creditors, investors, and employees that this time it can deliver a sustainable turnaround. Spirit’s leadership says the cuts are designed to put the company on a firmer footing, but whether that will be enough to secure its long-term survival remains an open question.
