"This is it tonight": Spirit Airlines pilots sign off on final flights
Spirit Airlines operated its final flights overnight Saturday after failing to secure a government bailout, marking the end of the airline's operations. Pilots and air traffic controllers shared emotional exchanges during the last flights, with some controllers offering well wishes to Spirit staff. The airline, based in Fort Lauderdale, employed about 15,000 people, and other carriers are offering preferential interviews to displaced workers.
- ▪Spirit Airlines ceased operations after a government bailout failed to materialize.
- ▪Air traffic control recordings captured emotional farewells between controllers and Spirit pilots during the airline's final flights.
- ▪The airline was headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and employed approximately 15,000 people, including 6,000 in Florida.
- ▪Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy stated that other airlines are offering preferential interviews to former Spirit employees.
- ▪The Air Line Pilots Association called the closure a devastating blow to over 2,000 of its members and thousands of other workers.
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U.S. "This is it tonight": Spirit Airlines pilots sign off on final flights By Kerry Breen Kerry Breen News Editor Kerry Breen is a news editor at CBSNews.com. A graduate of New York University's Arthur L. Carter School of Journalism, she previously worked at NBC News' TODAY Digital. She covers current events, breaking news and issues including substance use. Read Full Bio Kerry Breen May 2, 2026 / 11:00 AM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google Air traffic control audio records showed the exchanges between controllers and the pilots of some of Spirit Airlines' final flights overnight Saturday, shortly after the airline announced it was ceasing operations after a government bailout failed to materialize.
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