As part of its restructuring efforts following a bankruptcy filing, Spirit Airlines, an American airline company, has begun to terminate its flights. The company, which has sent 330 pilots on unpaid leave, is set to send an additional 270 pilots on unpaid leave in November. Furthermore, come the start of 2026, another 265 pilots will be placed on unpaid leave.
The airline company, grappling with challenging times, has commenced the downsizing of its network across airports in the United States. As part of a phased reduction program extending until the airport departures in December, Spirit Airlines has ceased operations to approximately a dozen cities starting from the beginning of October.
It has been revealed that the company, which will send 270 more pilots on unpaid leave in November, will implement the same procedure for 365 pilots in the early months of 2026. The company, shrinking its network at airports, affected airports in states including New Mexico, Tennessee, Alabama, California, and Oregon with its cuts in October. Among the cities affected are Sacramento, San Jose, Oakland, and San Diego.
In a statement, the company spokesperson said, 'As part of our ongoing restructuring, we are taking steps to align our staff across the organization with the capacity reduction and smaller fleet size we previously announced.'
The airline company announced plans to downsize its fleet by approximately 100 aircraft and will reject its commitment to purchase 52 Airbus planes and the option for 10 planes.
Spirit Airlines announced in September that it will also send 1,800 cabin crew members on unpaid leave. As part of its application, the company is securing financing of up to $475 million to stay afloat.