Spirit Airlines sells planes, brings back furloughed flight attendants

Spirit Airlines, which is seeking to emerge from bankruptcy for the second time in less than a year, is selling 20 more Airbus planes and bringing flight attendants back from furloughs.

The sale of the 20 planes, most of which are no longer in service, comes as Spirit seeks to stabilize itself after years of financial troubles that have seen executives battle to keep the airline afloat.

“At this time, natural attrition and voluntary actions are providing us with the flexibility we need to right staffing levels for both pilots and flight attendants,” Spirit Chief Operating Officer John Bendraitis said in a memo to employees Wednesday night.

The sale brings Spirit’s fleet to 94 aircraft and is “consistent with our plan to focus on our strongest routes and most efficient fleet,” Bendraitis said. The aircraft will be phased out starting in April.

Deal talks with investment firm Castle Lake and fellow low-cost airline Frontier Airlines have not resulted in an agreement that would give Spirit a path forward, but the airline could come up with its own plans.

The Dania Beach, Fla.-based airline is also bringing back 500 flight attendants from furloughs, just in time for the spring break travel season.

“It will be a joint effort to turn this airline around,” Vendratis said. “There are many things our crews cannot control at this time, but we must continue to provide a strong operational foundation.”

Spirit has cut its network and fleet and furloughed more than 1,300 flight attendants and hundreds of pilots to save money.

“This is good news for our 500 flight attendants and their families, and significant news for those of us on the route who have faced demanding demands over the past two months,” the Cabin Attendants Association (CWA) said in a message to members on Wednesday. “The airline’s goal to bring back flight attendants is to alleviate some of the operational issues that have existed since the furloughs.”