The post FloridaCommerce organizing emergency event for displaced Spirit Airlines workers appeared first on Florida Politics – Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government..
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While Spirit Airlines craters amid financial strain from rising fuel costs, FloridaCommerce is angling to provide relief for the workers who suddenly find themselves out of a job.
Spirit Airlines announced Saturday it is going out of business. Officials with the bargain commercial passenger company said the recent spike in fuel prices due to the war with Iran was too much to bear, and the business is ending after 34 years.
The airline said on its website that all flights have been canceled and customer service is no longer available. Some passengers arrived Saturday for flights and were stunned to find them canceled, while workers learned overnight they were out of jobs.
Spirit employed some 17,000 people, and many of them are in Florida. Officials with FloridaCommerce, the state’s economic development bureau, issued a rare Sunday news release saying the office is shifting into a “rapid response event” to help displaced Spirit workers. FloridaCommerce officials are holding a Spirit employee assistance special event on Monday from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Broward County CareerSource Center in Hollywood.
“This event will bring career and employment resources to displaced workers following Spirit Airlines’ announcement on May 2, 2026. Resources available will include resume assistance, job search assistance, career counseling and access to training,” a FloridaCommerce news release said.
Florida and Broward CareerSource officials, along with FloridaCommerce officials, will be on hand to advise Spirit employees on how to secure new jobs or other relief options. The event is taking place at the Broward CareerSource Center, 7550 Davie Road Extension, Hollywood.
The ultralow-cost airline that once operated hundreds of daily flights on its bright yellow planes said it had “started an orderly wind-down of our operations, effective immediately.”
Spirit had gone bankrupt twice previously in its history. But this weekend’s shutdown appears to be permanent.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Saturday that Spirit had a reserve fund set up for customers who bought directly from the airline to get refunds. People who bought from third-party vendors, such as travel agents, would have to seek refunds from them.
Duffy said United, Delta, JetBlue and Southwest were offering $200 one-way flights for a limited time to people who had Spirit confirmation numbers and proof of purchase. Other airlines would also help Spirit employees who might be stranded and offer them a preferential application process as they look for work.
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Material from The Associated Press was used in this report with permission.
The post FloridaCommerce organizing emergency event for displaced Spirit Airlines workers appeared first on Florida Politics – Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government..
