Thousands of travelers nationwide were left hanging earlier this month when Spirit Airlines abruptly announced that it was suspending all operations.
Without warning, all Spirit flights were canceled, with no customer service to aid scrambling customers.
The discount airline attributed the shutdown to years of financial hardships, compounded by a recent spike in fuel prices.
As a result, more than 350 workers were impacted by layoffs at Chicago O’Hare Airport, according to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification filed May 14.
What is the WARN Act?
Under Illinois law, employers must notify the state when they plan to lay off 75 or more full-time workers. The Act requires employers to provide at least 60 days advance notice of pending plant closures or mass layoffs.
The state issues monthly WARN reports, which include information about affected employers and their layoffs or plant closures.
Why did Spirit Airlines shut down?
Dave Davis, Spirit’s president and CEO, attributed the sudden shutdown to the recent spike in fuel prices.
“The sudden and sustained rise in fuel prices in recent weeks ultimately has left us with no alternative but to pursue an orderly wind-down of the company,” Davis said in a statement. “Sustaining the business required hundreds of millions of additional dollars of liquidity that Spirit simply does not have and could not procure.”
The airline had also experienced multiple bankruptcies, with a bailout proposed by the Trump administration failing to materialize in time to keep the airline flying.
How many Spirit employees at O’Hare are being laid off?
The airline’s WARN notice says 356 employees at O’Hare will be impacted by the layoffs.
The airline initially notified the state of the layoffs on Sept. 24, 2025, according to the notice.
Former Spirit Airlines employees claim they are owed notice, pay
Former Spirit Airlines employees filed a proposed class-action lawsuit May 12, claiming the company violated federal labor laws by abruptly ceasing operations without advance notice, ABC News reported.
The complaint alleges Spirit Airlines informed employees of the shutdown the same day in an email from company leadership, stripping them of their jobs, benefits and access to company systems without providing accrued vacation and sick pay.
The former employees are seeking damages equal to 60 days of wages and benefits under the WARN Act, also asking the court to certify the case as a class action covering all affected Spirit workers.
Department of Labor offers rapid response services for impacted Illinois employees
The Department of Labor is working with state and local partners to offer rapid response services and events for laid off Spirit employees in Illinois.
This includes workshops with the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, a dedicated company layoff page and a scheduled virtual UI workshop with the Illinois Department of Employment Security on Friday, May 22 at 10 a.m. CT.
Other information about unemployment insurance, health benefits and training programs can be found on the DOL website.
CONTRIBUTING: Zach Wichter and Mike Snider, USA TODAY; Sarah Perkel, USA TODAY NETWORK
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: In Spirit Airlines shutdown, more than 350 O’Hare workers lost their jobs
Reporting by Hannah Hudnall, Peoria Journal Star / Journal Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
