Spirit Airlines, pilots reach agreement to avoid 600 furloughs

Spirit Airlines pilots’ union on Tuesday said it reached an agreement with the company that will avoid involuntary furloughs of around 600 pilots when federal aid that has helped protect airline jobs runs out in October. About half of Spirit’s more than 2,500 pilots would work fewer hours, a reduction in costs that helps the company avoid involuntary cuts, said the Air Line Pilots Association, their union. Spirit had said it could furlough about 2,500 people throughout the company but the “actual number will be a small fraction of that,” thanks to volunteers that signed up for voluntary leaves.<br/>