Spirit Airlines To Launch Crew Bases In Miami & Atlanta
Spirit Airlines has announced plans to set up two new crew bases in Miami and Atlanta. The hubs will open later this summer and host 100 pilots and 200 cabin crew initially, with more jobs coming later in the year. The move comes as Spirit looks to boost traffic and recruitment, ahead of a merger with Frontier Airlines.
Establishing
In a statement this week, Spirit Airlines announced plans to open two crew bases by this summer. Miami (MIA) and Atlanta (ATL) will both see new bases backed by 100 pilots and 200 cabin crew each. The former is a major hub for Spirit, which has become the second-largest operator out of MIA. The carrier is currently the third-largest out of ATL.
A crew base is a city where airline staff will start and end their rotations. Airlines usually create these hubs to boost capacity out of major airports and hire more crew, which is made lucrative because it does not require relocation to another airline base. Spirit is relying on both these factors as it plans its expansion for the year.
Spirit currently operates seven crew bases across the United States. Photo: Spirit Airlines.
Spirit currently has two bases in Florida, Ft. Lauderdale and Orlando, along with five others across the country in Atlantic City, Chicago O’Hare, Dallas, Detroit, and Las Vegas. In a statement about the expansion, Executive Vice President and COO John Bendoraitis said,
“We’re always evaluating our network to find opportunities to improve our operational performance as our flight options continue to expand, and these new crew bases are reasons to celebrate because our Guests, Team Members and communities all win. We’re adding jobs and increasing staffing at stations with a high concentration of flight activity; we will have better access to large metropolitan centers for talent recruitment; and Spirit Team Members gain attractive new home base options and additional commuting opportunities.”
All about the merger
Last month, Spirit and Frontier Airlines announced plans to merge by the second half of the year, subject to regulatory approval. This means new strategies will be made keeping in mind the other half of the airline joining very soon. Florida is one state where Spirit and Frontier both have an established presence, with management already announcing that both airlines will remain in Miami post-merger. With plans to increase capacity, this crew base will continue expanding in the coming months and years.
Atlanta will remain an important hub for both airlines as well, with ATL to FLL topping Spirit’s busiest routes list in 2021. This level of growth means both airlines are expecting to see rising capacity in the coming years, making a crew base a wise choice.
Frontier and Spirit will both remain in all but one of their South Florida destinations after the merger, according to current plans. Photo: Airbus
Spirit is looking forward to a bustling summer 2022 season after two years of pandemic restrictions, with Florida to be a top destination once again. For now, keep following Simple Flying for the future of the merger and new expansions.
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