SpiritAirlines pilots sending out rsums after JetBlue deal collapse: 'It's very stressful'

Published

1 year ago

February 13, 2024

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Some pilots at Spirit Airlines are worried and scouring for other opportunities after a judge last month blocked the low-cost air carrier’s proposed merger with competitor JetBlue Airways, throwing its future into doubt.

Spirit pilots, recruiters and industry sources told Reuters that the ruling has led to increased job applications at other places of employment. Spirit Chief Financial Officer Scott Haralson last week said the company was looking into “right sizing” its labor costs, adding to the uneasiness.

A Spirit spokesperson said attrition levels are not out of the ordinary and pilot resignations this year have trended below its forecast for 2024.

“We remain confident about Spirit’s future and are committed to the well-being of our team members,” the spokesperson said.

The ultra-low-cost carrier has struggled to return to sustainable profitability due to softer demand in core markets and the grounding of dozens of its aircraft due to a snag with RTX’s Pratt & Whitney Geared Turbofan engines.

Analysts are not sure about Spirit’s ability to survive if the $3.8 billion merger deal remains blocked. Some analysts have suggested that the company could face bankruptcy if it cannot shore up its finances, and S&P Global, Moody’s and Fitch all downgraded the airline’s credit ratings after the ruling, citing higher default and refinancing risks.

“It’s very stressful,” said one Spirit pilot with more than five years of experience who has applied for jobs at Delta Air Lines, United and American Airlines. Another Spirit pilot said he’s spoken to numerous colleagues who are looking for other opportunities. The pilots spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Spirit’s pilot union declined to comment.

Job applications at United from Spirit pilots have increased since the court decision, two industry sources told Reuters. United, which plans to hire 2,000 pilots in 2024, down from 2,350 in 2023, in a statement said it has “a strong applicant pool.”

The job market for pilots has cooled after a two-year boom. Hiring has slowed for five straight months, data from Future & Active Pilot Advisors show, as major carriers have mostly caught up with staffing needs. Hiring in January was down 18% from a year ago.

Flying for United, Delta or American Airlines is seen as an upgrade for pilots at regional and budget carriers like Spirit, but the rise in interest reflects growing worry about Spirit’s future.

“With a seniority-based system you don’t normally move between companies and only in times of failure or real hardship would you even consider it,” said Kit Darby, a US aviation consultant who specializes in pilot career development.

Darby said he has recently spoken to half a dozen Spirit pilots seeking new jobs or career advice.

An exodus of pilots could hurt Spirit’s operations but also reduce costs. The airline had about 3,500 pilots at the end of 2023.

Spirit last week dismissed speculation about its future as a “misguided narrative,” saying it has boosted liquidity to survive even if the merger fails to close.

The Florida-based airline has cut its capacity growth plans. Spirit late last year slowed pilot hiring and promotions to the captain’s chair. It also suspended training for new pilots and flight attendants and offered voluntary time off for cabin crew members.

Spirit last week said it was working on solutions for its labor costs as it has “a lot of staffing” across the board. A spokesperson declined to provide more details.

Those comments left pilots with more questions. One said he was not sure how Spirit would resolve over-staffing, saying he hoped enough pilots would leave voluntarily to avoid potential furloughs.

Politics

Why Boris’s best mate is off to Reform

Published

2 hours ago

July 10, 2025

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Former Conservative chairman and friend of Boris Johnson – Sir Jake Berry – is defecting to Reform UK, causing more problems for Tory leader Kemi Badenoch.

On today’s episode, Sky News’ Sam Coates and Politico’s Anne McElvoy discuss if his defection will divide parts of Reform policy.

Elsewhere, the Anglo-French summit gets under way, with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer hoping to announce a migration deal with French President Emmanuel Macron to deter small boat crossings.

Plus, chatter around Whitehall that No10 are considering a pre-summer reshuffle, but will it have any value?

US

Donald Trump praises Liberian president’s English – the country’s official language

Published

2 hours ago

July 10, 2025

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Donald Trump praises Liberian president's English - the country's official language

Donald Trump has praised the Liberian president’s command of English – the West African country’s official language.

The US president reacted with visible surprise to Joseph Boakai’s English-speaking skills during a White House meeting with leaders from the region on Wednesday.

After the Liberian president finished his brief remarks, Mr Trump told him he speaks “such good English” and asked: “Where did you learn to speak so beautifully?”

Mr Trump seemed surprised when Mr Boakai laughed and responded he learned in Liberia.

The US president said: “It’s beautiful English.

“I have people at this table who can’t speak nearly as well.”

Mr Boakai did not tell Mr Trump that English is the official language of Liberia.

The country was founded in 1822 with the aim of relocating freed African slaves and freeborn black citizens from the US.

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Mr Trump promised the leaders of Liberia, Senegal, Gabon, Mauritania and Guinea-Bissau a pivot from aid to trade at the surprise meeting.

He described the countries as “all very vibrant places with very valuable land, great minerals, and great oil deposits, and wonderful people”.

Later asked by a reporter if he’ll visit the continent, Mr Trump said, “At some point, I would like to go to Africa.”

But he added that he’d “have to see what the schedule looks like”.

Trump’s predecessor, President Joe Biden, promised to go to Africa in 2023, but only fulfilled the commitment by visiting Angola in December 2024, just weeks before he left office.

US

Gaza permanent ceasefire ‘questionable’, says Israeli government

Published

2 hours ago

July 10, 2025

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Gaza permanent ceasefire 'questionable', says Israeli government

The Israeli government believes the chances of achieving a permanent ceasefire in Gaza are “questionable”.

The pessimistic assessment, in a top-level Israeli government briefing given to Sky News, comes as the Israeli Prime Minister prepares to leave Washington DC after a four-day visit which had begun with the expectation of a ceasefire announcement.

Benjamin Netanyahu will leave the US later today with the prospect of even a temporary 60-day ceasefire looking extremely unlikely this week.

Within “a week, two weeks – not a day” is how it was framed in the background briefing late on Wednesday.

Crucially, though, on the chances of the ceasefire lasting beyond 60 days, the framing from the briefing was even less optimistic: “We will begin negotiations on a permanent settlement. But we achieve it? It’s questionable, but Hamas will not be there.”

Sky News has spoken to several Israeli officials at the top level of the government. None will be drawn on any of the details of the negotiations over concerns that public disclosure could jeopardise their chances of success.

But I have been given a very clear understanding of Mr Netanyahu’s thinking.

The Israeli position is that a permanent ceasefire (beyond the initial 60 days, which itself is yet to be agreed) is only possible if Hamas lays down its arms. “If they don’t, we’ll proceed [with the war],” said a source.

The major sticking point in the talks between Hamas and Israel is the status of the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) inside Gaza during the 60-day ceasefire and beyond, should it last longer.

The latest Israeli proposal, passed to Hamas last week, included a map showing the proposed IDF presence inside Gaza during the ceasefire.

This was rejected by Hamas and by Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, who reportedly told the Israelis that the redeployment map “looks like a Smotrich plan”, a reference to the extreme-right Israeli finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich.

My briefing of Mr Netanyahu’s position is that he has not shifted in terms of Israel’s central stated war aims. The return of the hostages and eliminating Hamas are the key objectives.

But in a hint of how hard it will be to reconcile the differences, it was clear from my briefing that no permanent ceasefire is possible in the Israeli government’s view without the complete removal of Hamas as a political and military entity.

Hamas is not likely to negotiate its way to oblivion.

On the status of the Israeli military inside Gaza, a senior Israeli official told Sky News: “We would want IDF in every square metre of Gaza, and then hand it over to someone.”

It was clear to me that Mr Netanyahu wants his stated position to be that his government has no territorial ambition for Gaza.

One quote to come from my briefing, which I am only able to attribute to a senior Israeli official, says: “[We] don’t want to govern Gaza… don’t want to govern, but the first thing is, you have to defeat Hamas.”

Another clear indication of Mr Netanyahu’s position – a quote from the briefing, attributable only to a senior Israeli official: “You cannot have victory if you don’t clear out all the fighting forces.

“You have to go into every square inch unless you are not serious about victory. I am. We are going to defeat them. Those who do not disarm will die. Those who disarm will have a life.”

On the future of Gaza, it’s clear from my briefings that Mr Netanyahu continues to rule out the possibility of a two-state solution “for the foreseeable future”.

The Israeli government assessment is that the Palestinians are not going to have a state “as long as they cling to that idea of destroying our state”.

On the most controversial aspect of the Gaza conflict – the movement of the population – the briefing revealed that Mr Netanyahu’s view is that 60% of Palestinians would “choose to leave” but that Israel would allow them to return once Hamas had been eliminated.

“It’s not forcible eviction, it’s not permanent eviction,” a senior Israeli official said.

Critics of Israel’s war in Gaza say that any removal of Palestinians from Gaza, even if given the appearance of being “voluntary”, is in fact anything but, because the strip has been so comprehensively flattened.

Reacting to Israeli Defence Minister Katz’s recent statement revealing a plan to move Palestinians into a “humanitarian city” in southern Gaza, and not let them out of that area, the official wouldn’t be drawn, except to say: “As a permanent arrangement? Of course not.”