LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Nearly 1,000 Spirit Airlines workers at Harry Reid International Airport lost their jobs — and in many cases their health insurance — when the airline suddenly shut down.
Rapid response events, which we first told you about on Wednesday, brought many of those former employees together at Employ NV, not to board flights, but to figure out what comes next — from filing for unemployment to exploring training opportunities for new careers.
Shellys Martinez was hired in 2022 and says flying gave her purpose. The sudden shutdown left her without a clear path forward.
"I was supposed to go back on her birthday October 27th… and I have nowhere to go now… I loved flying. Four years is a lot. Imagine who was there for ten years plus," Martinez said
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Spirit Airlines closure leaves 999 Las Vegas workers without jobs, benefits
Dimetrios Catsogiannis spent nearly 11 years with Spirit before the shutdown.
"They dropped the hammer," Catsogiannis said.
For Martinez, the financial pressure is immediate.
"One income in a household… it's not enough… especially with a baby. Formula is so expensive," Martinez said.
Catsogiannis said the loss extended beyond a paycheck.
"We had medical insurance… they shut down May 2nd… that day they canceled it — the same day we went out of business," Catsogiannis said.
Frankie Mason with Employ NV said the scale of the layoffs is unlike anything the Las Vegas Valley has seen in years.
"It's been quite a while… probably since the financial crisis… since we've seen larger scale ones," Mason said.
For the 999 workers who came looking for answers, the events offered more than paperwork — they offered a measure of hope.
"This is a very good event helping people… that are in need," Martinez said.
Spirit Airlines employees affected by the layoffs can find more helpful information from the Rapid Response by clicking here.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
