Spirit Airlines is planning to station about 200 pilots at Newark Liberty International Airport later this year, while shutting down its Atlantic City crew hub.
The crews will move beginning in September and additional personnel are expected to follow once the hub is operational, the airline announced Friday.
In April, the company announced it would rely on out-of-area teams to staff Atlantic City flights, and close its crew hub at Atlantic City International Airport.
John Bendoraitis, Spirit’s executive vice president and chief operating officer, said the company chose Newark because of growing demand in the nation’s largest metropolitan area.
“Spirit has a long history of serving New Jersey travelers, and this investment reflects our commitment to our guests and team members in the Garden State,” Bendoraitis said in a statement.
A company spokesperson did not immediately return a request by NJ Advance Media for comment. It was unclear if workers at the Atlantic City base would be relocated to Newark once the new hub opens.
Crew bases, Spirit said, are airport stations where flight crews begin and end their trips. With its recent $2.7 billion investment to upgrade its Terminal A, and its status as one of the nation’s busiest airfields, Newark is an attractive base for staff, company officials said.
Spirit first began servicing Newark in October 2016. Since then, the company said it has become the airport’s second-largest carrier, with up to 32 peak day departures and service to 22 destinations, seven of which were added in the past year.
Spirit is based in Florida and has multiple crew hubs there, as well as in Atlanta, Chicago and Dallas.
Spirit is the only carrier providing frequent commercial flights to and from Atlantic City Airport. Sun Country Airlines makes occasional flights, and an American Airlines shuttle bus operates from the airport, which is located in Egg Harbor Township.
A company spokesperson told NJ Advance Media in April that flight numbers have fallen in recent years to an average of eight to 10 daily departures, depending on the season.
The Atlantic City base is expected to close in September, affecting 157 pilots and flight attendants. Flights, however, will continue despite the closure.
Airline officials in April cited the move as part of a larger restructuring decision with aircraft manufacturer Airbus to defer all aircraft orders scheduled for delivery in the second quarter of 2025 through the end of 2026. The orders will be deferred to 2030-2031. The plan also is tied to a shortage of Pratt & Whitney GTF engines.
Spirit and airline JetBlue earlier this year failed to complete a proposed $3.8 billion merger, which faced legal battles in a U.S. District Court in Massachusetts. JetBlue agreed to pay Spirit $69 million after both mutually terminated the deal.
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Eric Conklin may be reached at [email protected].
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