Nearly 1,000 Spirit Airlines employees in Texas lost their jobs this week as the carrier’s abrupt shutdown rippled through Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston.
Spirit Airlines layoffs in Texas totaled 959 workers, according to Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification notices posted May 7 by the Texas Workforce Commission. The filings show 444 layoffs tied to Spirit’s Dallas-Fort Worth operations and another 515 connected to Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport operations.
The notices listed May 2 as the layoff date, with the Dallas-area cuts reported in Dallas County and the Houston-area cuts reported in Harris County.
The job losses come days after Spirit Airlines canceled all flights and began winding down operations after failed restructuring and bailout efforts, according to previous reporting by The Dallas Express.
In North Texas, the shutdown is expected to have a significant effect on Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, where Spirit had operated as a crew base and major low-cost carrier. About 4,000 Spirit flights scheduled through November from DFW Airport are now canceled, and Spirit served more than 1.3 million passengers at DFW last year, according to figures reported by WFAA.
Spirit Aviation Holdings, Inc. announced on May 2 that it would shut down immediately after running out of liquidity following months of financial struggles, failed merger efforts, and rising fuel costs, according to prior reporting by The Dallas Express.
“For more than 30 years, Spirit Airlines has played a pioneering role in making travel more accessible and bringing people together while driving affordability across the industry,” Spirit President and CEO Dave Davis said in a statement previously cited by The Dallas Express.
“However, the sudden and sustained rise in fuel prices in recent weeks ultimately has left us with no alternative but to pursue an orderly wind-down of the Company,” Davis added.
President Donald Trump said before the shutdown that his administration had examined possible federal assistance for the airline but would only proceed if “it’s a good deal,” according to prior reporting by CBS News.
The shutdown also sparked an unusual online reaction. A grassroots effort dubbed “Let’s Buy Spirit” reportedly drew tens of millions of dollars in nonbinding pledges from supporters seeking to revive the airline under community ownership, according to reporting by The Dallas Express.
The campaign was launched by YouTuber and voice actor Hunter Peterson after Spirit ceased operations. Organizers reportedly said the campaign website temporarily crashed due to heavy traffic after it attracted widespread online attention.
While aviation analysts and industry observers interviewed by multiple outlets have questioned whether such an effort could realistically succeed given the costs of operating a commercial airline, supporters have framed the campaign as a broader response to shrinking budget travel options and rising airfare costs.
Meanwhile, airlines across the country have begun offering interviews and recruiting opportunities to displaced Spirit employees. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said other carriers were offering preferential interviews to Spirit workers affected by the closure, according to CBS News.
The Air Line Pilots Association previously reportedly said the shutdown affected more than 2,000 pilots and thousands of additional employees nationwide.
