JetBlue said it would give up as many as five gates at FLL in billion dollar Spirit Airlines deal
JetBlue Airways said Monday it has reached agreement to turn over Spirit Airlines’ operations at airports in Boston and Newark, New Jersey, as JetBlue ramps up its effort to win regulatory or court approval to buy Spirit.
Spirit Air engages with JetBlue ahead of shareholder vote
South Florida-based Spirit Airlines, the target of a budget airline bidding war, said Tuesday that it has been in talks with JetBlue about last week’s buyout offer while remaining engaged with Frontier Airlines, with which Spirit has already signed a merger agreement.
Frustrations grow amid delays, cancelations for Spirit Airlines
Spirit Airlines travelers are dealing with another day of delays and cancelations, including at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, where many of them were forced to wait in long lines and even sleep at the airport while waiting to be rebooked.
Last minute travelers head to South Florida airports despite health official warnings to stay home
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – It was quieter at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport early Christmas morning than it had been the previous days. Last minute travelers filled the Spirit Airlines terminal, despite recommendations from health officials for Americans to stay home due to COVID-19. Frank Evans flew to Fort Lauderdale from Seattle. According to the Transportation Security Administration, more than 5 million people passed through the nation’s airport security checkpoints between Friday and Tuesday. The busiest day at area airports is expected to be people flying in and out of South Florida on Jan. 2., just after New Year’s.
Spirit warns of layoffs; aid for contractors being examined
Separately, key members of Congress said they are investigating aviation contractors that took federal payroll aid and then laid off thousands of workers. Airlines and airline contractors who received cash from a $32 billion pool of federal payroll aid agreed not to lay off workers until Oct. 1. Airline labor unions are lobbying Congress for six more months of federal aid. Some contractors who received money laid off workers anyway, according to three Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives. At Spirit, the pilots union said it was notified Wednesday that 806 pilots could be furloughed, or terminated with rehiring rights.
Video shows violent scene at Fort Lauderdale airport
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. A violent situation was captured on video Tuesday night at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. Its unclear exactly what sparked the outburst, but it appears to be at a Spirit Airlines gate for a flight to Philadelphia. Three women were arrested:Tymaya Wright, 20, was arrested on charges of touch or strike battery and petit theftDanaysha Dixon, 22, was arrested on charges of or strike battery. Keira Ferguson, 21, was arrested on charges of touch or strike battery. The Broward Sheriffs Office is gathering information and Local 10 News has reached out to Spirit Airlines as well.
American and 4 other airlines reach loan agreements with US
The Treasury Department said Thursday that it had signed letters of intent for new loans to American, Spirit Airlines, Frontier Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines and SkyWest Airlines. American Airlines said it signed a term sheet with Treasury for a $4.75 billion loan, which would be in addition to $5.8 billion that Treasury has already agreed to extend to American. Major carriers including American, United, Delta and Southwest have raised billions in available cash on the private credit market. Some, including United Airlines, have said they would apply for loans but might not use them. Shares of American Airlines and its three closest competitors Delta, United and Southwest ranged from down 1% to up 1% in midday trading.
Nurse says Spirit Airlines crew left woman’s corpse uncovered on flight
A nurse said the crew forced passengers -- including children -- to walk by the uncovered woman’s corpse. Nurse Nathalie Albino wants Spirit Airlines to spend more on training crew members for emergency situations. She said they were unassisted by the flight crew. “You know, imagine if it was your mother or grandmother.”Albino said it was frustrating to see how ill-prepared the flight crew was to handle the situation. “Saying that we forced people (out of the plane first) is a flat-out lie.”Hofmeyer also noted that Spirit flight attendants are trained to handle medical emergencies.
Spirit Airlines stays grounded in South Florida, despite moving operations control center
MIRAMAR, Fla. – Spirit Airlines may be moving its operations control center from South Florida to the Nashville area, but the low-cost carrier isn't going anywhere. The Miramar-based airline announced Thursday that more than 240 employees from its operations control center is moving to a facility in Williamson County, Tennessee, where nearly 100 more positions will be added in the next five years. Although it may seem like a blow to the South Florida workforce, not to worry, spokesman Erik Hofmeyer said Friday. Just last month, Spirit Airlines broke ground on its new headquarters in Dania Beach. When it opens in 2022, Spirit plans to add 225 positions to the more than 700 jobs that will remain in Broward County.
Spirit Airlines passengers have a surprise bat passenger
Several Spirit Airlines passengers filmed cell phone videos of a mysterious animal -- which they initially thought might be a bird, but ended up being a bat -- flapping around the cabin. Passengers on a recent Spirit Airlines flight from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Newark, New Jersey, did not have the same luxury. According to a rep from Spirit, animal control came on board to take the bat after the plane landed safely and customers were able to deplane. "The aircraft was disinfected and searched as a precaution," the Spirit Airlines representative told CNN. In 2017, a woman gave birth on board a Spirit flight from Fort Lauderdale to Dallas.