Comprehensive interview intel — history, fleet, compensation, hiring, culture, and strategy. Know the company inside and out before you walk in.
Spirit Airlines is an ultra-low-cost carrier (ULCC) operating an all-Airbus A320-family fleet that has been dramatically downsized during two Chapter 11 bankruptcy filings — from 214 aircraft pre-bankruptcy to approximately 94-125 active airframes. It is headquartered in Dania Beach, Florida, and its approximately 2,400 remaining active pilots are represented by ALPA. Spirit currently has no permanent CEO — an Office of the President committee (Fred Cromer, John Bendoraitis, Thomas Canfield) is leading the airline after Ted Christie's resignation in April 2025.
For interview purposes, the simplest way to frame Spirit is this: it is an airline in survival mode. Spirit filed Chapter 11 in November 2024, emerged after 87 days in March 2025, then filed again in August 2025 — a rare "Chapter 22" situation. In December 2025, pilots voted 82% to ratify a restructuring agreement that included an 8% temporary pay cut and a reduction in the company's 401(k) contribution from 16% to 8%, saving approximately $85 million per year. Spirit is targeting emergence from its second bankruptcy in late spring or early summer 2026. The airline is NOT currently hiring pilots.
Sources listed at the end of each profile. Data compiled from public filings, airline newsrooms, AirlinePilotCentral, Glassdoor, FAA records, and industry publications.