To the OP, yes, with the firm orders in the order book we’ll be bumping up against 300 jets with options for 50 more by 2026 (don’t quote me on the timing).

A big problem with the ULCCs in general is that there were so many young pilots hired initially. For those that join today, they only way that they will have a decent career with good progression is for the airline to continue to grow. For those that start at a Legacy today, they will move up 1/3 of the list in 5 or so years, and even if they are 30 years old, will retire in the top 300 of 15,000. That is top 2%, and will retire making over $400/hour (or a lot more as inflation continues to grow). You simply can not get things like that at a legacy unless continued growth happens.

This year, the legacies and large major airlines combined will be hiring about 1000 pilots per month. It won't take much to hire large chunks off the bottom of the seniority lists at the ULCCs, with a few senior pilots mixed in. Hiring to cover attrition only means stagnation on the list.

you make it seem like Spirit doesn’t have a plan to source for more pilots. Trust me they will find a way.

-CFI’s,

-Visas for foreign pilots.

-raise the pay and pick off some corporate pilots.

There a ton of Australian pilots to pick from. And I think they would be cool to fly with (especially the chicks😘 🇦🇺)

I would tend to agree with you and in fact, may actually welcome the attrition as it keeps the overall payroll costs lower with more new pilots as opposed to higher longevity ones. As to the OP, I think Spirit is going to be just fine and will come out strong on the backside of this.