Ex-Spirit Airlines pilots hired to fly grounded Airbus aircraft into storage
May 8, 2026
Ex-Spirit Airlines pilots are being hired to move the defunct airline’s grounded fleet to aircraft boneyards in the US after the low-cost carrier collapsed last week.
Nomadic Aviation Group co-founder Bob Allen said his company had hired former Spirit Airlines pilots to ferry aircraft into storage after the carrier’s shutdown.
Final ferry flights offer ‘closure’ to ex-Spirit Airlines pilots
Describing the closure of the airline as like a “death in the family”, he said the ferry pilot work provided temporary income while also giving some pilots “closure” by allowing them to operate the aircraft on their final flights.
“It helps a lot, not only putting some money in their pocket, but when you have this situation, some people need the closure,” he told CBS News.
Dozens of the yellow-liveried Airbus A320 family aircraft operated by Spirit have been moved over the last week.
Some have been transferred from bases in Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and Orlando International Airport to storage facilities in Pinal Airpark and Goodyear.
There are more than a dozen Spirit aircraft at Goodyear alone. It is unclear what will happen to the aircraft.
Out-of-work Spirit Airlines pilots enter tightening jobs market
While the employment market for members of the flight crew has remained strong since Covid, the Iran war and high oil prices are putting pressure on airlines, with some scaling back their operation as a result. The impact may be that there are fewer jobs to go around, just as a large number of highly trained and skilled pilots formerly working for Spirit are hunting for new flying opportunities.
The sudden loss of the airline has put thousands of pilots out of work, and while temporary employment may be found with Nomadic and other ferry flight operators, the search for a permanent job starts now.
One former employee, 39-year-old Texan Brandon Keene is among those experienced pilots now competing for a limited number of jobs.
He told local news outlet Fox 26 Houston: “When I was furloughed a year and a half ago, it wasn’t as bad because there were 500 of my peers to compete against.
“Now, we’ve got 2,000-plus pilots flooding the market, and half of those are captains with turbine PIC (Pilot in Command) time. That’s really valuable.”
Spirit closure sent shockwaves through US airline industry
Spirit folded on Saturday after talks over a government bailout collapsed, triggering the airline to terminate all operations immediately.
“It is with great disappointment that on May 2, 2026, Spirit Airlines started an orderly wind-down of our operations, effective immediately,” the carrier posted.
“To our guests: all flights have been cancelled, and customer service is no longer available.”
The carrier had been under pressure for years. A plan by Frontier to acquire Spirit was abandoned after JetBlue bid higher. However, the merger was later blocked, leading Spirit to file for bankruptcy protection in 2024 and again in 2025.
While Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy noted that “Spirit was in dire straits long before the war with Iran”, the spike in fuel prices put additional pressure on the airline at a time when it could least afford it.
Featured image: 4300streetcar / Wikimedia Commons
