The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA President Sara Nelson sent a letter on May 2 to Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Acting Secretary of Labor Keith Sonderling, calling for urgent actions to protect Spirit Airlines workers after the airline ceased operations.
The closure has left thousands of Spirit Airlines flight attendants and other frontline workers without income, healthcare, or job security. The union’s response highlights the uncertainty faced by these employees as they await decisions from federal authorities and bankruptcy court.
“Spirit Flight Attendants and thousands of other workers have invested their hearts and souls into this airline, and now their lives are on the line,” said Nelson. “Spirit Flight Attendants are not just some asset to be written off in this process. Their lives matter, and the livelihoods of all Spirit workers must come before the profits of shareholders. Spirit workers showed up everyday until that last flight touched down at DFW, and they must be protected.”
Nelson also said, “The Administration must take immediate action to protect the workers whose lives are hanging in the balance. The lives of the workers must be a top priority of this administration and the bankruptcy court as this process continues.” In her letter, she urged Secretary Duffy to “deploy the full capacity of the federal government to support [Spirit] workers,” outlining specific steps for federal intervention.
The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA represents more than 55,000 flight attendants across 20 airlines including those at Spirit Airlines. According to information provided by AFA, it has advocated for improvements in wages, benefits, working conditions, and public awareness regarding flight attendants’ roles for over 80 years.
As proceedings continue following Spirit Airlines’ shutdown, affected employees await further developments from both government agencies and court decisions regarding their future.