ORLANDO, Fla. — It’s been over three months since Spirit Airlines signature yellow planes made their final flight from Orlando International Airport. When the company suddenly shut down in May, more than four thousand people lost their jobs in Florida, including 1600 workers in and around Orlando International Airport.
The three months since have been turbulent for many former Spirit employees, even as the aviation industry itself continues to see growth.
“When we lost our jobs, it didn’t only feel like we were mourning it for ourselves, but it felt like we were mourning for each other as well,” said Chris Bell, who had worked as a flight attendant with Spirit Airlines for 8 years.
In the three months since, Bell has found work at a local assisted living facility as he continues to hunt for another flight attendant role.
“I am going to be a flight attendant again. I don’t question that. But it was very hard to lose that overnight,” said Bell, “It’s very competitive to get into an airline.”
Bell told Channel 9 that since the airline shut down, he’s submitted 6 applications for flight attendant roles, two of which are still pending.
The role itself is notoriously desirable.
American Airlines says they receive upwards of 130,000 flight attendant applications per year. For every 125 candidates that apply, only two are selected. The 1.6 percent acceptance rate is more selective than all eight Ivy League schools.
Still, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical Professor Dr. Bijan Vasigh says United States passenger traffic is growing by about three to four percent per year.
It bodes well for the industry’s long-term outlook.
“If those employees of Spirit Airlines have mobility, they could be hired by other airlines. Maybe not in Florida, not in Miami. But the fact is that those jobs are not absolutely gone,” said Vasigh.
This year, the International Air Transport Association forecasted a 4.9 percent year-over-year growth in passenger traffic, led by the Asia Pacific region.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of flight attendants is projected to grow 9 percent from 2024 to 2034, much faster than the average for all occupations.
“Other airlines are trying to fill a void. The number of passengers is not going down. The number of passengers is increasing,” said Vasigh.
For former Spirit Flight attendant Chris Bell, he likes to think of this moment as “temporary turbulence.”
“Just because we’re in this dark cloud doesn’t mean that there’s not light at the end of it,” said Bell.
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