Spirit Furloughs 365 More Pilots to Be Back on Its Feet by 2027

Spirit Airlines has announced plans to furlough 365 more pilots and downgrade the status of up to 170 more in Q1 2026.

This move is part of Spirit’s ongoing restructuring efforts following its second bankruptcy filing in August 2025. The airline is actively adjusting its workforce to align with a smaller operating fleet.

Earlier in the year, Spirit had already revealed plans to furlough 270 pilots in November 2025. These furloughs aim to reduce pilot-related costs by approximately $100 million annually.

In addition to pilots, Spirit plans to furlough about 1,800 flight attendants (about a third of its cabin crew), starting December 1, 2025.

The workforce reductions and capacity cuts (about a 25 percent network downsizing next year) are key parts of the restructuring plan to stabilize finances and improve operational efficiency.

Despite these challenges, Spirit projects a return to profitability by 2027, following years of losses, with an expected net income of $219 million, after incurring $800 million in losses this year.

Additionally, Spirit recently received approval from the US Bankruptcy Court for debtor-in-possession (DIP) financing of up to $475 million to support the airline's day-to-day operations. Of the total approved amount, $200 million is immediately accessible, provided by Spirit’s existing bondholders.

For more details, read our explainer on Spirit’s bankruptcy to learn how and when its financial struggles started.

Photo by Bhavya Patel on Unsplash