Global economic uncertainties are causing travel providers to take a hit, and there’s evidence of it in abundance. Spirit Airlines is planning to furlough its flight attendants in large numbers, making the difficult decision to put its staff on temporary leave to manage its expenses. The reports of the furlough come as Spirit cuts costs to manage its second bankruptcy in less than a year. The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last month and announced the suspension of its operations in multiple US cities starting in October.
While the bankruptcy is hard on the organization, Spirit Airlines’ cuts are particularly brutal for the flight attendants who are faced with uncertainties with regard to the future of their employment. Some may turn to the option of voluntary furloughs, but if the company doesn’t meet its expected cutbacks, additional involuntary furloughs will lead the way.
Spirit Airlines has announced plans to furlough 1,800 flight attendants by the end of the year, narrowly avoiding layoffs for now. (Image: Pexels)
Spirit Airlines Plans to Furlough Flight Attendants After Its Second Bankruptcy Filing
Spirit Airlines’ cuts to its cabin crew will result in 1,800 flight attendants being furloughed by the end of the year. According to the union that represents the workers, the company will seek employees who are willing to accept six months to one year of voluntary furloughs starting on November 1, 2025. Additionally, AP News reports that involuntary furloughs will be explored based on seniority from December 1.
“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 told CBS News.
With the apparent reduction in flights and flight hours announced for October, the decision to furlough flight attendants at Spirit Airlines was inevitable, as there will be no work for these workers to be involved in. Earlier announcements indicated that the company is expected to reduce its capacity by 25%. The airline reportedly employs 5,200 flight attendants, which means that approximately 34% of the company’s cabin crew will be put on temporary leave.
Are We Expecting Spirit Airlines Layoffs in 2025?
CEO Dave Davis previously said that layoffs would be inevitable as a result of the flight hour cutbacks, but for now, the temporary leave may give the business a chance to get back on its feet and bring its staff back to work in the coming year. In a memo to employees, the CEO made it clear that the size of its teams would be affected in the coming months in order to help the company “emerge stronger.”
The CEO also acknowledged that Spirit’s workforce reductions would cause uncertainty for its staff, but he reassured them that he would keep them informed about the decisions as they are made. Currently, over 800 flight attendants have already taken a voluntary leave of absence, but that has not been deemed enough to meet the cost-cutting needs.
Spirit has reportedly also furloughed hundreds of its pilots after it told the union that it was seeking $100 million in savings from cuts made to this segment of the workforce. The Spirit bankruptcy filing may help limit the cost cuts in other areas, but layoffs are still on the table.
The Spirit Crew Furloughs Are a Temporary Solution but May Be More Effective than Permanent Cuts
Just how many flight attendants will voluntarily participate in the Spirit Airlines furloughs remains unclear for now. According to the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, flight attendants can apply for voluntary furlough leave of 6 or 12 months if they desire, and they will continue to receive their medical benefits during the period. The union is also working to help the attendants get “preferential interviews” at other airline carriers to help them make it through the break at Spirit.
Spirit’s workforce reduction effort appears inevitable at the moment, but the decision to turn to furloughs instead of layoffs allows workers to continue to make the most of some of their employee benefits, with health care assistance being one of the priorities. Selling off real estate or equipment could be an alternate solution to laying off workers, but this will also result in unavoidable cuts, with further expenses later down the line to build the business back up.
While furloughs are not a desirable outcome, the decision to head down this path suggests that the business retains some hope of restoring its flights and its staff back at their posts in the next year. The decision to communicate regularly is also commendable as a key way to keep uncertainties at bay. We’ll have to keep our eyes on the Spirit Airlines cuts to see just how the situation evolves.
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