Spirit Airlines to furlough 270 pilots, downgrade more than 100 others as it prepares to cut flights

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Spirit Airlines

said Monday that it will furlough 270 pilots this fall as the carrier prepares for a smaller off-season schedule to try to find its financial footing.

The airline will also downgrade 140 pilots from captain to first officer, according to a note to aviators from the Air Line Pilots Association, their union. Those downgrades take effect on Oct. 1.

“We know how hard this news hits, and there’s no dressing that up. Spirit continues to shrink, and with it, the value of pilot seniority and Spirit careers continues to erode,” said Captain Ryan Muller, chairman of Spirit’s ALPA chapter.

Spirit Airlines to furlough 270 pilots, downgrade more than 100 others as it prepares to cut flights

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