End of an era: Florida airport bids farewell to Spirit Airlines

The death of Spirit Airlines continues to be mourned by former employees and aviation enthusiasts.

On Friday, staff and crew members at Orlando International Airport watched and bade farewell to the newly defunct airline as the last of Spirit’s banana yellow jets stationed in Orlando took off for the final time.

The last Airbus 320Neo at Orlando International Airport (MCO) departed for the Phoenix Goodyear Airport, where the majority of Spirit’s aircraft fleet will be parked as the company awaits the results of its liquidation proceedings.

According to a social media post from the airport, former Spirit employees were invited to gather with current airport staff to see the last yellow plane depart, marking the “end of an era that spanned 33 years.”

“Yesterday, we watched our yellow friend make its final departure into the sky,” MCO officials wrote, adding that the unofficial event was held to honor the legacy and memories built over the more-than three decades of partnership between the airport and the low-cost carrier.

Read More: Bidding war expected for Spirit Airlines’ former slots at LaGuardia

Spirit Airlines was officially sunsetted earlier this month after repeated years of financial turmoil, multiple bankruptcy filings, a blocked merger with JetBlue and a failed government bailout effort.

The company employed thousands of people involved in the day-to-day business operations, including administrative staff, marketing and communications teams, technology and infrastructure experts, ticketing and sales representatives, and other white-collar jobs—in addition to the pilots, flight attendants, mechanics and other crew members who safely carried travelers across the globe.

At the time of Spirit’s collapse, MCO said there were 160 Orlando-based employees of the airline who were affected.

Spirit Airlines had been flying under its banner for 33 years prior to ceasing operations on May 2, meaning Orlando was one of its earliest adopters and longest airport partners. Friday would’ve been Spirit’s 34th anniversary under its current banner.

Spirit Airlines was an industry disruptor

Despite Spirit often being the punch line of frustrated travelers and Saturday Night Live’s Weekend Update team, the presence of an ultra-low-cost carrier offering bare-bones flight packages at deep discounts had wide-ranging impact on the commercial aviation industry.

Spirit’s low prices forced the hand of major carriers to offer more competitive flight options lest they be undercut by the “Greyhound of the Skies.”

In short, Spirit’s low prices kept the rest of the industry honest. In the immediate aftermath of Spirit ceasing operations, airline prices experienced a significant bump, particularly in and around cities where the airline previously had major footing.

Read More: Low-cost carriers make play for Spirit Airlines’ former homebase

The loss of Spirit Airlines has coincided with soaring fuel prices brought on largely by the U.S. war with Iran, as well as seasonal price increases typically seen during summer months.

Fuel prices doubled in less than three months, and April airfare prices were the highest recorded in nearly four years, according to CNBC. Jet fuel is the second-largest expense that airlines have aside from labor.

Spirit, like all airlines, was hit hard and immediately by the skyrocketing prices of fuel, but the low-cost carrier was on much shakier ground than its competitors after narrowly surviving two previous bankruptcy filings.

Ultimately, Spirit did not have a third trick up its sleeve to stave off its eventual downfall.

Friday’s last yellow jet departure from Orlando was just one of dozens of farewell flights being done across the country in recent weeks to get the remaining aircraft in the same place so that liquidation proceedings can begin.

Many of these relocation trips are being conducted by Nomadic Aviation Group. Ben Schlappig of One Mile at a Time profiled Steve Giordano and Bob Allen, who operate Nomadic Aviation Group and document the process of moving these orphaned planes from one part of the globe to the other.

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