Months after exiting Chapter 11 bankruptcy, Spirit Airlines is planning to furlough 270 pilots during the fall and demote another 140 from captaincy to being first officers, according to reports.

The demotions are set to kick in on Oct. 1 while the furloughs start on Nov. 1, according to CNBC. The company emerged from its bankruptcy proceedings in March.

“We are taking necessary steps to ensure we operate as efficiently as possible as part of our efforts to return to profitability,” Spirit said in a statement, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. The furloughs are part of efforts to “better align staffing with our flight schedule,” the air carrier added.

The union representing pilots on Spirit says these efforts are a sign that the company is continuing to constrict.

“We know how hard this news hits, and there’s no dressing that up. Spirit continues to shrink, and with it, the value of pilot seniority and Spirit careers continues to erode,” Ryan Muller, a captain and chairman of the Spirit branch of the Air Line Pilots Association, said according to CNBC.

The latest planned furloughs and demotions are the third round Spirit has undertaken since September 2024, Mr. Muller said, according to Reuters.

The airline furloughed 500 pilots last year, according to the Chronicle, and it is also trying to sell off 20 A320 Airbus planes to recoup capital.

The company filed for bankruptcy last fall after a proposed merger with JetBlue fell through, according to Fortune. Prior to filing for bankruptcy, Spirit had not made an annual profit since before the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.