Spirit Resumes Hiring Pilots, Flight Attendants

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Key Takeaways:

  • Spirit Airlines is actively hiring new pilots, flight attendants, instructors, and recruiters in anticipation of a significant recovery in travel demand, especially in the leisure sector, by summer 2021.
  • CEO Ted Christie expressed optimism about the airline's growth prospects, expecting to blend new hires with furloughed staff as travel levels normalize due to vaccine rollout and decreasing COVID-19 cases.
  • The hiring initiative includes specific roles like entry-level flight attendants and first officers, primarily based in Ft. Lauderdale, to prepare the airline's training system for future staffing needs.
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Spirit Airlines has announced it is hiring new pilots and flight attendants in anticipation of a return to normal travel levels in 2021. It’s also hiring flight instructors and flight attendant recruiters as it gets ready for recovery. “We’ll be a big hirer again,” CEO Ted Christie told CNBC. “Growth in the airline industry is going to be at the leisure end, and we’re the primary server of that guest.” Christie said the new hires will blend with furloughed staff as business picks up later this year. He said the airline’s training system needs a head start to get staffing up to the levels it anticipates will be needed by summer and beyond.

The airline has posted four air crew-related vacancies on its career pages, three of which are based in Ft. Lauderdale. Spirit is looking for entry level flight attendants and first officers as well as an in-flight training instructor there as well as a flight attendant recruiter in Miramar, Florida. Field is upbeat about the air travel recovery now that vaccines are rolling out. “Vaccine deployment, lowering total COVID case numbers should lead to more confidence from the traveling public and a loosening of restrictions,” Christie said.

Russ Niles

Russ Niles is Editor-in-Chief of AVweb. He has been a pilot for 30 years and joined AVweb 22 years ago. He and his wife Marni live in southern British Columbia where they also operate a small winery.
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