Spirit Pilots to Reopen Contract Negotiations

FT. LAUDERDALE—Following today’s announcement by Spirit Airlines and JetBlue Airways terminating their merger agreement, the pilots of Spirit Airlines, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA), notified management of their intent to amend their Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). This formal notice is the opening step to begin negotiations under Section 6 of the Railway Labor Act.

“Our union has been preparing for this possible outcome and is ready to write the next chapter for Spirit Airlines as a standalone company,” said Captain Ryan Muller, chair of the Spirit ALPA Master Executive Council. “Our current contract was negotiated under the assumption of a merger with JetBlue. Now we will be seeking a full suite of quality-of-life and compensation improvements for our pilots.” 

Though the union and management reached an agreement for an amended CBA in January 2022, the agreement included a clause to immediately reopen full Section 6 negotiations should the merger agreement with JetBlue be terminated. 

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CONTACT: ALPA Media, 703-481-4440 or Media@alpa.org