Spirit Airlines, citing COVID-19, will furlough nearly 1,000 workers starting Oct. 1

Spirit Airlines has told the state of Florida it intends to place nearly 1,000 pilots, flight attendants and other workers on temporary furloughs starting Oct. 1 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The discount airline, headquartered in Miramar, had signaled the possibility in July of large scale furloughs after citing steep declines in passenger traffic over the spring and summer. A total of 976 people are being affected by the decision.

Airlines around the industry have warned they would likely become smaller toward the end of this year as business sharply dropped off as the nation’s economy collapsed over the summer.

Spirit, which employs more than 6,000 people systemwide, said 275 first officers, 571 flight attendants, 50 ramp services agents and 50 passenger service agents at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport will be temporarily furloughed between Oct. 1 and Oct. 14.

Another 30 dispatch workers assigned to the airline’s Miramar operations center would also be sidelined.

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