Spirit Airlines just announced that it would be furloughing nearly half of its crew today, in a letter it sent to it’s union leaders. The layoffs, an effort to cut costs and pare down operations, comes as the airline closes hubs in New York and San Juan while significantly shrinking Detroit and Ft. Lauderdale.
While unfortunate news for the employees and the airline, it is perhaps best that the carrier makes these moves before the financial situation becomes too tight. It’s best to continue limited operations while the market is sour then keep going strong and run out of money.
Perhaps after the market rebounds and airlines are easily able to operate in the red again can Spirit regain it’s balance.
How will this effect the everyday traveler? You’ll probably notice some cutbacks in routes and capacity. But the main routes will stay mostly in tact. Try asking your pilot or flight attendant how things are going on your next flight for a real perspective on company morale.