Spirit Airlines ceases operations; 444 employees at Dallas-Fort Worth hub lose jobs

The last Spirit Airlines flight landed at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport on May 2.

The next day, the airline posted on its website that it would cease operations.

According to a Texas Workforce Commission filing, more than 900 employees in Texas were laid off, including 444 at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. The other layoffs happened at Houston’s George Bush International Airport. The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act filing shows 119 pilots, 246 flight attendants and 79 additional employees were let go.

According to FlightRadar.com, the last flight went from Detroit Metro Airport to DFW Airport, landing at 12:09 a.m. on May 2.

Quote of note

“Our heart goes out to the thousands of men and women who have had their careers impacted by this bankruptcy,” said Chris McLaughlin, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport CEO, during the DFW Airport Board meeting May 7. “You know many of them work right here at DFW. We know many of them personally. We meet with them on a regular basis, and we consider them our family. We consider them our friends and our heart goes out to them.”

What else?

McLaughlin said that Spirit has been operating two gates in Terminal E. He said the demand for gates at the airport is “real,” and the staff will look at reassignments for the best use of those gates in the future.

“What happened to Spirit is somewhat unique, but it also impacts other airlines,” he said.

McLaughlin said there have been external pressures, lingering supply chain issues and the conflict in the Persian Gulf impacting fuel costs.

He said domestic and international carriers are reevaluating routes, timing and frequency of flights, which is having an impact on DFW Airport. Brian Butler, executive vice president/chief financial officer, said later in the meeting that airline costs trend under budget of $14.3 million. He added that net revenue is up.

He pointed out that American Airlines had moved from a nine-bank structure to a 13-bank structure in April. That move times large groups of flights together, coordinating arrivals and departures, coordinating quick and seamless connections, according to an American Airlines news release.

McLaughlin said there have been great outcomes from that in terms of customer impact and operational reliability.

The outlook

McLaughlin said the upcoming FIFA World Cup will play into the busyness of the summer travel, but said the airport might not hit the mark laid out in the budget. He said the medium- to long-range forecast remains strong.

“We as a board have discussed recently that this industry will often see short-term shocks and periodic crises, but we know that our long-term outlook remains strong,” he said. “And we know that demand for DFW remains strong, so hang in there. We'll get through this summer and we'll continue to propel forward. We're excited about what the future holds.”