Following a recent bankruptcy announcement, Spirit Airlines has also permanently suspended 11 routes. Despite hundreds of thousands of people traveling by air each day in the United States, the cuts reportedly made sense for the business. Beginning on October 2, Spirit Airlines will no longer fly to Albuquerque, New Mexico (ABQ), Birmingham, Alabama (BHM), Boise, Idaho (BOI), Chattanooga, Tennessee (CHA), Columbia, South Carolina (CAE), Oakland, California (OAK), Portland, Oregon (PDX), Sacramento, California (SMF), Salt Lake City (SLC), San Diego (SAN) and San Jose, California (SJC).
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But there’s more bad news for the airline.
Spirit Airlines Recently Announced Big Layoffs
According to CBS News, citing the Wall Street Journal, Spirit Airlines confirmed that it will lay off 1,800 employees, including 5,200 flight attendants. Cutting the workforce will hopefully help the bankrupt airline avoid a complete shutdown.
“As part of our ongoing restructuring, we are taking steps to align staffing with our fleet size and expected flight volume. In line with this process, we have made the difficult decision to furlough approximately 1,800 Flight Attendants, effective Dec. 1, 2025,” Spirit shared in a statement to CBS News.
The layoffs did not come as a total shock to Spirit Airlines staff. CBS News obtained a memo that CEO Dave Davis shared with employees in November.
“These evaluations will inevitably affect the size of our teams as we become a more efficient airline. Unfortunately, these are the tough calls we must make to emerge stronger. We know this adds uncertainty, and we are committed to keeping you informed as these decisions are made,” he wrote.
According to the company’s website, Spirit Airlines has a lot going for it. Hopefully, they’ll be able to recover.
“Not to brag, BUT we were awarded Best Airline Overall for 2025, as well as Safest Airline and Most Affordable Airline by WalletHub. We were recognized by the Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX) as a 2025 Four Star Low Cost Carrier. Our Fit Fleet® was ranked as one of the world’s youngest for 2025 by ch-aviation. We also received the FAA’s Aviation Maintenance Technician Diamond Award of Excellence for the seventh consecutive year. Mic drop,” the airline boasts.
This story’s featured image is by Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images.
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