LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — With Spirit Airlines' announcement of permanent closure this weekend, employees are feeling the strain of mass layoffs.
Local News
Spirit Airlines shuts down: What to know about the impact at Las Vegas airport
In a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act published to the Nevada Department of Employment, Training, and Rehabilitation's (DETR) website, Channel 13 found that the airline issued the permanent layoff of 999 employees, including 779 flight attendants, 90 first officers, 59 captains, and more at Harry Reid International Airport.
Spirit Airlines shared in the letter that they "regret that [they] were not able to give [employees] more notice of [their] layoff," stating that an attempt to "[seek] capital to avoid these layoffs would have precluded [Spirit Airlines] from obtaining the capital needed."
Spirit Airlines said they were also faced with "sustained deterioration in business conditions," which included rising fuel costs from "geopolitical events of the last few weeks."
Eventually, Spirit Airlines made the decision to close after the United States Government and their lenders did not provide additional operations funding.
In a second email received by Channel 13, president and CEO of Spirit Airlines, Dave Davis, shared additional information with employees.
"This is not the outcome any of us planned for; I wish I were coming to you today with different news. I know I speak for all of us when I say I’m proud this airline has brought friends and families closer together for 34 years. I am deeply grateful to the thousands of Team Members who made our mission possible, pioneering affordable travel for millions of people across the United States." — Dave Davis, president and CEO of Spirit Airlines
Davis echoed the company's struggle to combat rising fuel prices, and said that a "small operational team [would] stay on for a brief period to support the wind-down process."
For employees currently out on a trip or training event away from their base, Davis said that the company would "work with [them] to book travel home on another airline."
Employees were encouraged not to wear their Spirit Airlines uniforms during their travels "for [their] safety and privacy," Davis said in the letter.
According to Davis, Spirit Airlines employees' emails would be deactivated on May 2, which he called the "last day" for most team members.
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