Spirit Airlines to Open Crew Base for Pilots in Newark

Spirit Airlines announced it will open a new crew base for Pilots at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) in September 2024. The move will allow the airline to improve reliability on flights from Newark. Spirit expects to locate approximately 200 Pilots in Newark initially, with additional supervisors and support functions to follow.

Crew bases are the various airport stations where flight crews typically begin and end their trips. Newark is well suited for the new Pilot crew base thanks to its strategic location within Spirit’s network and sizeable flight schedule. Spirit has grown to become the second largest carrier at EWR with up to 32 peak day departures and service to 22 destinations, including seven destinations added in the past year. The airline launched service at EWR in October 2016.

“We’re continuously focused on running a strong, reliable operation, and our growth at EWR paired with the airport’s location in the nation’s largest metropolitan area make Newark ideal for our next Pilot crew base,” said John Bendoraitis, Spirit’s Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. “Spirit has a long history of serving New Jersey travelers, and this investment reflects our commitment to our Guests and Team Members in the Garden State. We thank the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Newark Liberty International Airport and our community partners for their continued support.”

The new EWR Pilot crew base will complement Spirit’s additional crew bases in Atlanta (ATL), Chicago (ORD), Dallas (DFW), Detroit (DTW), Fort Lauderdale (FLL), Houston (IAH), Las Vegas (LAS), Miami (MIA) and Orlando (MCO).

Spirit called off its planned merger with JetBlue in March after opposition by the federal government.