ORLANDO, Fla. – Workers with Spirit Airlines shouted “enough is enough” Monday as they walked with yellow signs that read “contract violations must end now” outside Orlando International Airport.
The protest comes after multiple flight cancellations across the country within the last several months.
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Union workers said the cancellations left fight attendants without a place to stay, with some stranded at airports.
“Fourth time since August, we’ve had 30% of our flights canceled, which has thrown us into another mess of contract violations. We have crew members that have been on duty for 30-plus hours,” said Cole De Vault, of the Association of Flight Attendants.
First-time Spirit passenger Nana Nystrom said her flight from New Jersey to Orlando was canceled, causing a major schedule change for her planned vacation to Walt Disney World.
“We were ready to come from New Jersey, we were in the car and we got the cancellation, and our flight was at 5 a.m. and all night we had to be in the car waiting for another flight, so the kids don’t miss the fun,” Nystrom said.
Spirit Airlines released a statement to News 6 on Monday.
“We are grateful for our incredible Spirit Family, and we’re committed to finding ways to better support our Team Members and address the issues of most importance to them.
We’ve been through so much together throughout the pandemic, and we are committed to making the necessary investments to build a stronger and more resilient airline for both our Team Members and Guests.”
Spirit Airlines statement to News 6