Ex-Spirit workers sue, saying airline owes back pay and benefits
Former Spirit Airlines employees filed a class-action lawsuit alleging the airline failed to provide proper layoff notices and owes back pay and benefits.Summary
Former Spirit Airlines employees have filed a proposed class-action lawsuit in U.S. Bankruptcy Court alleging that the airline's abrupt shutdown violated federal law. The workers claim management misled them about the airline's prospects and failed to provide the 60-day advance notice required by the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN Act). The lawsuit, filed on behalf of approximately 17,000 terminated employees, asserts that the airline's CEO, David Davis, informed staff of the shutdown via email on May 2, 2026, without prior warning. The complaint alleges that employees have not yet received their final paychecks, accrued vacation time, or unused sick time. Additionally, the suit criticizes the airline's request for millions in retention bonuses for senior executives during the wind-down process. Spirit Airlines, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in August 2025, has stated that it does not comment on litigation.
(Source：Chicago Tribune)