The American airline, Southwest, has expressed interest in hiring some aircraft mechanics from the now obsolete Spirit Airlines, ahead of the arrival of its Boeing 737 MAX 7 jet in early 2027.
Southwest weighs hiring Spirit mechanics
On Monday, the U.S. carrier expressed interest in hiring mechanics to support red-eye flights and ahead of the planned arrival of the MAX 7 jet early next year, pending an expected certification this year by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The president of the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association, Bret Oestreich, said he had spoken with executives at Texas-based Southwest about hiring mechanics from Spirit, which ceased all operations on Saturday. The aviation union has members at both airlines.
Sharing that Southwest is expected to replace retiring mechanics, Oestreich said,
“We have carriers that will be hiring”
American Airlines are also looking at Spirit mechanics, according to the carrier’s online career page.
The budget airline, Spirit Airlines, shut down after failing to secure financial bailout from the Trump administration.
With the aviation industry facing a significant shortage new aircraft and parts, and grappled with congestion at busy US airports, old Spirit landing slots, engines and aircraft are expected to be in high demand.
The looming cost of the ongoing war in Iran
According to Reuters, Southwest recently informed its aviators of plans to hire 1,072 pilots, about 200 more than was expected this year.
However, with the ongoing U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran, jet fuel prices remain high and are expected to increase as the conflict continues.
US airlines are still seeing strong demand in travel, despite rising fares, but if jet fuel prices remain too high it will push weaker airlines closer to the brink of collapse like Spirit airlines.
In an effort to become more fuel-efficient, airlines are incorporating more MAX aircraft into their fleet to reduce operating costs while grounding older planes that consume more fuel.
Southwest Airlines is expected to be the first carrier to take delivery of the MAX 7, with the CEO, Bob Jordan saying he expects the plane to be certified around August 2026.
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