Longtime Spirit Airlines executive John Kirby plans to retire at the end of August, stepping aside from his role as the ultra-low-cost carrier’s (ULCC’s) vice-president of network planning.
Kirby’s decision to retire comes after 40 years of working in aviation, including leadership roes at Alaska Airlines, Southwest Airlines and now-defunct carrier AirTran Airways, Spirit said on 18 August.
Florida-based Spirit is searching for Kirby’s successor.
Rana Ghosh, Spirit’s chief commercial officer, credits Kirby with playing a “pivotal role in shaping Spirit’s network” since joining the airline in 2018, including staking out a dominant position in Fort Lauderdale.
Spirit’s network has undergone significant changes in recent months as the ULCC has attempted to right-size itself to match sagging demand for discount airline seats in the USA.
The airline has shifted focus to mid-sized domestic markets such as Savannah, Georgia, rather than its more-traditional target markets of large US metros and popular vacation destinations. And it recently launched new flights to Grand Cayman and Belize in an expansion of its near-international destinations.
But efforts to rebuilt its network have not turned around the company’s fortunes. Spirit emerged earlier this year from the Chapter 11 bankruptcy process after years of poor financial performances, and has continued struggling following financial restructuring.
The plan to shrink operations and find profitability has included putting hundreds of pilots on furlough, in addition to cutting unprofitable flying from its network.
Most recently, Spirit raised concerns over its ability to continue operating beyond one year, citing looming debt obligations that could trigger a series of defaults.
Airline Business data show that Spirit lost $246 million during the second quarter, compared with an $193 million loss during the same period of last year.
