Former Spirit Airlines mechanics recount the carrier's acute financial distress, including inability to purchase new nose landing gear nuts and relying on bankruptcies and a blocked JetBlue merger.

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  "signal_subtype": "financialDistress",
  "detected_at": "2026-10-23T22:24:01+00:00",
  "company": {
    "name": "Spirit Airlines",
    "domain": "spirit.com"
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  "data": {
    "nsfw": false,
    "stage": "confirmed",
    "awards": 0,
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    "topics": [
      "aviation",
      "financial distress",
      "bankruptcy",
      "mechanics"
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    "post_id": "1xdry95",
    "summary": "Former Spirit Airlines mechanics recount the carrier's acute financial distress, including inability to purchase new nose landing gear nuts and relying on bankruptcies and a blocked JetBlue merger.",
    "category": "shutdown_talk",
    "comments": [
      {
        "url": "https://www.reddit.com/r/aviationmaintenance/comments/1xdry95/comment/19rk1rkyzzp7o/",
        "depth": 0,
        "score": 51,
        "author": "Corvette232",
        "excerpt": "For me it was on the wall a year in, it was during the merger talks and they put all the eggs in the jet blue merger going through basket, they were spending money left and right thinking jet blue was going to foot the bill when the deal went through.\n\n after it got blocked we couldn't afford new nuts for the NLG tires we changed and were told to reuse the ones we took off, then the bonuses the ce",
        "posted_at": "2026-10-23T23:50:25.000Z",
        "author_url": "https://www.reddit.com/user/Corvette232/"
      },
      {
        "url": "https://www.reddit.com/r/aviationmaintenance/comments/1xdry95/comment/19rjzuy8mly05/",
        "depth": 0,
        "score": 37,
        "author": "Kenstaa",
        "excerpt": "Layoffs happen before you can see any writing on the wall. You are a number in a lottery, they click and fire. Unless you have strong experience (even then aren’t safe)",
        "posted_at": "2026-10-23T23:07:41.000Z",
        "author_url": "https://www.reddit.com/user/Kenstaa/"
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      {
        "url": "https://www.reddit.com/r/aviationmaintenance/comments/1xdry95/comment/19rk794h7ww2p/",
        "depth": 0,
        "score": 17,
        "author": "Cock_Of_The_Hand",
        "excerpt": "Started to look for new jobs on the first bankruptcy. Seeing Ted's bonus, the second bankruptcy, and union negotiations/mergers stalling gave me a really bad feeling, and I didn't want to be competing with that many mechanics that had years of experience over me. I found a great job in the end, but I really wish I could still be working at Spirit. The people were great and the experience was good.",
        "posted_at": "2026-10-24T01:53:27.000Z",
        "author_url": "https://www.reddit.com/user/Cock_Of_The_Hand/"
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      {
        "url": "https://www.reddit.com/r/aviationmaintenance/comments/1xdry95/comment/19rl44gvc5c9w/",
        "depth": 0,
        "score": 12,
        "author": "RustyWrench09",
        "excerpt": "when the station manager said “i’m not telling you to apply somewhere else, but think of your family”",
        "posted_at": "2026-10-24T14:10:25.000Z",
        "author_url": "https://www.reddit.com/user/RustyWrench09/"
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      {
        "url": "https://www.reddit.com/r/aviationmaintenance/comments/1xdry95/comment/19rkd7z6xufz5/",
        "depth": 0,
        "score": 12,
        "author": "SunAndMoon19",
        "excerpt": "In 2023 we all knew the company was struggling financially but by 2024 it was obvious shit was real.\n\n The other guy talking about how we couldn’t afford nuts for the NLG and how everyone was banking on the JetBlue merger brings back memories. We really were banking on JetBlue to save our asses. And for context of the NLG nut thing; the company issues out online training officially saying to reuse",
        "posted_at": "2026-10-24T04:07:15.000Z",
        "author_url": "https://www.reddit.com/user/SunAndMoon19/"
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      {
        "url": "https://www.reddit.com/r/aviationmaintenance/comments/1xdry95/comment/19rkbunwpibtx/",
        "depth": 0,
        "score": 8,
        "author": "Smooth_Baker4631",
        "excerpt": "when your company has management continually raising false hopes over some shiny new contract or direction and it doesn't happen. Once they've done that like 3-4 times, you are in a culture of lying and hopium.\n\n I think if you're at a major airline or cargo company, you are solid. Everyone else, stop thinking that this is anything other than just another unstable period of history. Companies are",
        "posted_at": "2026-10-24T03:36:33.000Z",
        "author_url": "https://www.reddit.com/user/Smooth_Baker4631/"
      },
      {
        "url": "https://www.reddit.com/r/aviationmaintenance/comments/1xdry95/comment/19rk5k3882map/",
        "depth": 0,
        "score": 6,
        "author": "Odd_Tool",
        "excerpt": "2006. Private Equity got involved the year before. When they cut mechanics pay 30% across the board, that's when I left. Before PE, they were a great place to work. I'm just surprised they lasted for as long as they did.",
        "posted_at": "2026-10-24T01:15:26.000Z",
        "author_url": "https://www.reddit.com/user/Odd_Tool/"
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      {
        "url": "https://www.reddit.com/r/aviationmaintenance/comments/1xdry95/comment/19rle9gdw244l/",
        "depth": 0,
        "score": 4,
        "author": "No_Fig9120",
        "excerpt": "I knew the moment they let the golf cart stay broken for 3 months",
        "posted_at": "2026-10-24T17:57:43.000Z",
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    "evidence": [
      "[comment u/Corvette232] after it got blocked we couldn't afford new nuts for the NLG tires we changed and were told to reuse the ones we took off",
      "[comment u/SunAndMoon19] In 2023 we all knew the company was struggling financially but by 2024 it was obvious shit was real.",
      "[comment u/Cock_Of_The_Hand] Started to look for new jobs on the first bankruptcy. Seeing Ted's bonus, the second bankruptcy, and union negotiations/mergers stalling gave me a really bad feeling"
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    "post_date": "2026-10-23T22:24:01.000Z",
    "post_kind": "text",
    "post_text": "As someone who's staking their claim in the airline industry, I'd like to hear your opinions about when it's time to think about jumping ship. Did you know it was coming, and if so, what were the signs?\n\nI'd also like to hear about your experience of finding a new job and how you're doing now, if you feel like sharing.\n\nThanks for reading!",
    "sentiment": "negative",
    "subreddit": "aviationmaintenance",
    "event_date": "2024",
    "post_title": "Ex-Spirit mechanics: when did you see the writing on the wall?",
    "prominence": "core",
    "source_url": "https://www.reddit.com/r/aviationmaintenance/comments/1xdry95/exspirit_mechanics_when_did_you_see_the_writing/",
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    "event_date_text": "by 2024",
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        "name": "JetBlue",
        "role": "partner",
        "domain": "jetblue.com"
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  -d '{"domain":"spirit.com","limit":20}'