Spirit
Two Spirit aircraft, representing the old livery and the new, at Tampa International Airport. Photo: Capt. Barry Norman (Spirit)
At A Glance
Pilots joined ALPA: 1996
Number of pilots: 3,723
Pilot bases: Atlantic City, N.J.; Atlanta, Ga.; Dallas and Houston, Tex.; Detroit, Mich.; Fort Lauderdale/Miami (co-domicile) and Orlando, Fla.; Las Vegas, Nev.; and Chicago, Ill.
Hubs/key markets: Atlanta, Ga.; Detroit, Mich.; Dallas and Houston, Tex.; Fort Lauderdale, Miami, and Orlando, Fla.; Las Vegas, Nev.; and Chicago, Ill.
Headquarters: Miramar, Fla.
Operations: Spirit operates approximately 800 daily flights to 90 destinations throughout Central America, the Caribbean, South America, and the U.S.
Fleet: 17 A319s, 64 A320s, 85 A320neos, 30 A321ceos, and 8 A321neos with 37 additional aircraft on firm order
Spirit Airlines pilots have faced much uncertainty in recent years, but the pilot group’s Master Executive Council (MEC) has been prepared for every contingency. In 2022, Frontier Airlines was set to purchase Spirit, culminating in a merger of two of the largest ultra-low-cost carriers. When Spirit stockholders accepted a better last-minute offer from JetBlue Airways, MEC leaders quickly pivoted. The MEC revised its Section 6 strategy to focus on key items that set the stage for Spirit’s future merger with JetBlue. When the pilots approved a new collective bargaining agreement in January 2023, the MEC immediately began work preparing for next steps in the potential merger with JetBlue.
Whatever the future brings, the MEC will be prepared to face it head on and represent the best interests of Spirit pilots.
