Spirit Airlines Plans To Cut Capacity by 25%, Warns of Staff Cuts Amid Bankruptcy Struggles

Spirit Airlines is in its second bankruptcy in as many years, and now the airline’s CEO is warning of deep cuts to both staff and flight capacity — determined in terms of seat miles, in industry jargon.

In a memo to employees, Dave Davis, Spirit’s CEO, estimated the airline will become roughly 25% smaller in November than it was at the same time as last year.

What does this mean for the beleaguered airline? Let’s take a look, including how it could affect passengers.

Spirit Plans Cuts Amidst Second Bankruptcy

Spirit has had a rough past few years, struggling to get back to profitability. The airline, which hasn’t been profitable since the 2010s, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in November 2024 and quickly emerged in March 2025.

The airline had made far fewer changes than many expected during that time, and the time spent in bankruptcy was incredibly shorter than what other airlines typically spend in a bankruptcy process — often several years.

However, things haven’t improved sufficiently, and now Spirit is in its second bankruptcy. This was not a surprising step after the airline had warned it didn’t have enough funds to survive the next year.

All of this came after big changes in the airline’s business model and rejecting a merger with Frontier Airlines.

Now, a memo sent to employees by the airline’s CEO suggests big cuts, as first reported by Airline Geeks.

“A key pillar of our restructuring is redesigning and strengthening our network,” Davis wrote. “With that in mind, later this afternoon, our operational leaders will receive our preliminary November schedule. As planning begins, you will see a reduction of about 25% in capacity, year over year, as we optimize our network to focus on our strongest markets.”

“These evaluations will inevitably affect the size of our teams as we become a more efficient airline,” Davis wrote in another section of the memo. “Unfortunately, these are the tough calls we must make to emerge stronger. We know this adds uncertainty, and we are committed to keeping you informed as these decisions are made.”

How Will This Affect Passengers?

It’s not immediately clear which personnel or routes will be cut. Spirit won’t finalize its November schedule until next week, but the first action item for passengers is to wait.

If you’re planning to book a trip with Spirit in November or later, you might want to wait before purchasing a ticket. That will give you time to see if your planned route is being eliminated. If that happens, it could force you to decide between booking alternate travel or taking a new route — likely with more travel time and an added connection.

For passengers with existing tickets, you should keep an eye on your reservations. If a flight you’re scheduled to take is eliminated, the airline should offer you a refund. You may also receive some rebooking options, but be sure to compare those against flights from other airlines before you make a final decision.

Final Thoughts

Spirit will be 25% smaller soon. That will lead to job losses, affecting numerous families.

It will also affect passengers, as flights will be canceled, network routes will be thinned out, and the airline will offer fewer seats on fewer flights. All of this is part of the airline trying to remain afloat while it seeks to stop losing money — and then eventually start making some again.