Spirit Airlines to furlough 270 pilots and demote another 140
It's the latest major move from the cash-strapped budget carrier, as it looks to scale down its workforce, downsized schedule, and return to profitability.
The furloughs will go into effect on November 1, while designation downgrades for captains will take place on October 1, the company told Reuters in an emailed statement. 'We are taking necessary steps to ensure we operate as efficiently as possible as part of our efforts to return to profitability,' the airline said.
The announcement, first reported by Bloomberg News, comes as Spirit tries to overhaul its business to move away from its no-frills image and rebrand as a premium airline.
The Florida-based carrier had filed for bankruptcy protection last November, following years of losses, heavy debt, and failed merger attempts. It emerged from bankruptcy in March.
The company needs fewer pilots to operate its flights, but that has sent off sparks inside the carrier. 'Spirit continues to shrink, and with it, the value of pilot seniority and Spirit careers continues to erode,' Captain Ryan Muller, chairman of the Spirit unit of the Air Line Pilots Association, said.
Captain Muller added that this marks the third round of pilot furloughs and downgrades since September 2024. Spirit is not alone.
Dozens of airlines have culled parts of their schedules, announced major layoffs, and cut back on financial expectations for 2025. The cuts have been particularly brutal for budget-friendly airlines.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
20 minutes ago
- The Independent
Food earmarked for millions of people still languishes in warehouses after Trump shuttered USAID
Food aid groups that partner with the U.S. Agency for International Development to assist in providing critical nutrition for millions around the world have had to watch cases of food go to waste as the Trump administration dismantled USAID. In Georgia, Mana Nutrition, a company that creates ready-to-use therapeutic food, is waiting for someone to pick up 400,000 cases of its nutritional supplement to be shipped worldwide. The food could help an estimated 60 million people, but chaos with USAID has disrupted coordination, the company told the Washington Post. The company is planning to destroy approximately 585 cases of its peanut paste this month because it became too dated to ship while waiting for a new government contract that never happened. The owner of Mana Nutrition told The Post that some of it could have been added to previous shipments, but wasn't. But other companies or organizations that have or had contracts with the government to supply aid have faced similar issues in recent months. In July, approximately 500 metric tons of food aid, specifically high-energy biscuits meant for children in Afghanistan and Pakistan, expired while being stored in warehouses in Dubai. While the administration assured people that the small percentage of food aid wasted would not impact future shipments, some have raised concerns about the pattern that has been highlighted due to the dismantling of USAID. Last month, the company Edesia Nutrition waited for someone to pick up more than 100,000 boxes of nutritional aid that had sat in a warehouse in Rhode Island. After sounding the alarm, the shipments were finally picked up only after a Rhode Island retailer teamed up with the company. In May, several people familiar with USAID told Reuters that more than 60,000 metric tons of food, sourced from American farmers and manufacturers, was set to expired in warehouses by July. That concerned enough people that the Office of Inspector General said it would open an investigation into food aid in warehouses. It's unclear if that aid was eventually shipped. The Trump administration has sought to axe USAID by revoking federal funding and firing most of its staff. President Donald Trump and his allies have characterized USAID as an unnecessary agency filled with 'waste, fraud, and abuse.' USAID, which was established in the 1960s, was one of the world's leading distributors of food and aid. Partnering with other companies, USAID provided humanitarian assistance, medical necessities, education, and more to people living in poverty, war-torn countries, and disaster-impacted communities. A spokesperson for the State Department told the Post that it is 'constantly assessing global humanitarian needs and expects to allocate additional resources to address those needs in line with U.S. interests.'
Daily Mail
21 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
The Hamptons' 'poor neighbor' becomes a real estate hotbed of multimillion-dollar bidding wars
The Hamptons are out and East Coasters are moving to its cooler, quieter, slightly 'poorer neighbor' - the North Fork. What was once slow paced farm towns has become the new go-to for those who wish to make a home for themselves on Long Island, even if just for the summer. Realtor Donald Brennan has been a homeowner and resident on the North Fork for 22 years and recently his real estate firm opened up an office there. He told Daily Mail he's seen major changes in the area and that's in part due to how crowded the Hamptons on the South Fork has gotten. Families, friends, and retirees from New York City have been traveling down to the Hamptons - just two to three hours away - for generations. Naturally, as it became more and more popular over time, he said the traffic between New York City and the coastal getaway has become non-stop and the once quiet enclave is now polluted with traffic, parties, and back to back beach houses, leaving little room for new development. He said the North Fork, which mainly used to be farmland, has been Long Island's best kept secret for years. He'd always thought of it as an arm of Brooklyn. 'There's a really strong connection to Brooklyn as a feeder market.' he told the Daily Mail. Long Island splits into a 'fork' at the end, creating the appropriately named North and South Forks with the Hamptons located on the South Fork New Yorkers are now making the move to North Fork in favor of cheaper prices and a quieter life. This 4 bed 2 bath home is listed with Engel & Volkers for $1.075 million The land in the North Fork allows for more spacious builds and beachfront properties. This 6 bed 7 bath home is listed with Engel & Volkers for $3.6 million As a long-time Brooklyn resident himself, he noticed that many people preferred the quiet spaciousness of North Fork to the bustling community of the Hamptons on the South Fork. 'Its current environment maybe is not as relaxing as it was 10, 20, 30 years ago,' Brennan said. In many ways the North Fork offers the nostalgic feel of the Hamptons from decades prior. 'Certainly the North Fork is going to be an experience that you would maybe have enjoyed 20 or 30 years ago on the South Fork,' said Brennan. 'Much quieter, much less traffic on the road,' he added. Even people who have summered in Montauk or the Hamptons for years are packing up and trading it for Mattituck in favor of lower prices and sprawling landscapes, he said. 'Now we see more of those, either as new buyers or people exiting the South Fork looking for homes on the North Fork,' he said. Brennan said there's more land, more space for beachfront properties, and more affordable options for families, residents, and retirees. Donald Brennan (pictured) has resided on the North Fork for over 20 years and now operates his real estate firm there According to Brennan cottage and bungalow-style homes are most common on the North Fork, but new builds are bringing diverse architecture. This 4 bed 2 bath home is listed with Engel & Volkers for $1.3 million And the numbers don't lie. According to Engel & Volkers, sales are up significantly on the North Fork, even in just the last year. Single-family home sales are up 17 percent in comparison to 2024. On top of that, the average sales price has skyrocketed to $1.168 million, an 8 percent increase since 2024. And according to recent reports, those homes aren't staying on the market for long. Todd Bourgard, the CEO of Douglas Elliman's Long Island, the Hamptons, and North Fork locations, said that his agents are quickly adapting to these quick sales and bidding wars. 'North Fork is now, and always has been, a beautiful place to live,' Bourgard told The New York Post. 'People are discovering it more and more every single day. We're certainly seeing the prices going up, because, like everywhere else, it lacks inventory.' Brennan said there really is no average homebuyer on the North Fork. People seem to be coming in masses regardless of age. Most are looking for single family homes with four or more bedrooms, swimming pools, and close proximity to the bay. According to Brennan the biggest issue with the rush of new residents is their desire to change the cohesive landscape of North Fork towns like Mattituck or Southold with populations of 4,200 and 6,600 respectively. Because there are so many land-buying opportunities and less-expensive homes that have been around for decades, affluent families are using their means to construct new, modern buildings. The popularity of the South Fork has caused new builds to be difficult and beach front space to be limited. This home on the North Fork is listed with Engel & Volkers for $1.4 million Brennan said good restaurants and shops have opened in the area over the last decade close to the beautiful beaches. Stairs lead to a beautiful beach on the North Fork of Long Island Orient Point Lighthouse is seen above. Orient is the eastern-most town on Long Island's picturesque North Fork He noted in some instances you can tell who's new to the area just by their architecture style. 'It's a little bit easier to see affluence,' he said. 'Those who've been there for a long time, and live in these more humble homes that are, you know, bungalows, or cottages are now maybe sitting side by side with 7,000 square foot modern glass boxes.' 'I think it's jarring for some people,' he said. But he certainly sees the appeal. 'There's really almost no traffic to speak of through the summer months. Some very good restaurants that have appeared over the last decade or so,' he said. 'So it's a little more relaxed, quieter existence than what most people may be experiencing today on the South Fork.'
Reuters
an hour ago
- Reuters
Report: Sun moving to Boston in record $325M deal
August 2 - A Boston-based group led by Celtics minority governor Steve Pagliuca has reached a deal with the Mohegan Tribe to purchase the WNBA's Connecticut Sun and move the team to Boston, according to multiple reports Saturday. The Sun, who have called Connecticut home since 2003, could relocate as early as 2027. Pending approval from the WNBA, Pagliuca will reportedly shell out $325 million for the Sun, which would be the most ever paid for a women's sports franchise. His group will reportedly put down another $100 million for the team to build a new practice facility in Boston. Approval from the league could face some obstacles, as Boston has been eyed as a potential location for an expansion team. The WNBA has the right to force the Mohegan Tribe to sell to a buyer in Connecticut, according to the Boston Globe. The Boston Celtics reportedly have no issues sharing the TD Garden with a WNBA team. The Sun, who play at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., hold the league's worst record at 5-21 this season after making the playoffs in each of the eight previous campaigns. --Field Level Media
