Spirit Airlines has announced it plans to start hiring new pilots and flight attendants next month in anticipation of a return to normal travel levels in 2021.
The airline is also hiring flight instructors and flight attendant recruiters as it gets ready for recovery.
“We’re going to be a big hire again,” said Ted Christie, Spirit CEO. “Growth in the airline industry is going to be at the leisure end, and we’re the primary server of that guest.”
The carrier is looking for entry level flight attendants and first officers, in-flight training instructors as well as a flight attendant recruiters.
The new hires will blend with furloughed staff as business picks up later this year. Some of these workers, like pilots, must meet federal requirements before returning to work.
Spirit hopes that the spread of vaccines will help speed recovery in air travel. The airline expects to return to its 2019 capacity level in six months.
“The distribution of vaccines, the reduction in the total number of Covid jobs, should lead to more confidence in the traveling population and a reduction in restrictions,” Christie said.
