Spirit Airlines has hit a rough patch recently — filing one bankruptcy and then another. Now the major airline is furloughing 1,800 flight attendants as it navigates its second filing in less than a year.
According to CNBC, Spirit Airlines filed for bankruptcy protection for the second time in August after it “failed find to sturdy financial footing when it came out of Chapter 11 protection in March.”
Now, just one month after its second filing, the airline announced plans to furlough nearly 2,000 attendants and cancel services to nearly a dozen cities.
“As part of our ongoing restructuring, we are taking steps to align staffing with our fleet size and expected flight volume,” a Spirit Airlines spokesperson told MassLive.
“In line with this process, we have made the difficult decision to furlough approximately 1,800 Flight Attendants, effective Dec. 1, 2025.”
The news comes one week after the airline issued a memo to its employees bracing them for cuts and giving them a heads up that the airline would dial back its schedule to reduce costs.
“These evaluations will inevitably affect the size of our teams as we become a more efficient airline,” Davis wrote in last week’s notice.
“Unfortunately, these are the tough calls we must make to emerge stronger. We know this adds uncertainty, and we are committed to keeping you as these decisions are made.”
In a note to the airline’s union Association of Flight Attendants-CWA members, the union outlined that flight attendants can apply for voluntary furlough leaves of six to 12 months and retain medical benefits.
Involuntary furloughs will begin Dec. 1.
Spirit announced it will continue operating as usual, including honoring tickets, reservations, credits and loyalty points as it navigates bankruptcy.
The airline said it intends to use the bankruptcy process as a stepping stone to transition to a more “sustainable future,” including maintenance obligations and reducing its fleet of planes.
According to KARE 11, Spirit has confirmed it will be discontinuing service the week of Oct. 2 in the following cities:
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Boise, Idaho
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Columbia, South Carolina
Oakland, California
Portland, Oregon
Sacramento, California
Salt Lake City, Utah
San Diego, California
San Jose, California