Spirit Airlines pilots strike entering 2nd day; thousands stranded as carrier cancels flights

Spirit Airlines pilots strike entering 2nd day

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Spirit Airlines flights are being canceled again as a pilot’s strike enters its second day, shutting down the discount carrier and stranding thousands of travelers.

Spirit’s CEO said no talks were scheduled with picketing pilots, and a union leader said the pilots “will not return to the cockpit until a fair and equitable contract is negotiated.”

The airline carries 16,680 passengers per day, mostly between the eastern U.S. and the Caribbean and Latin America. But its shutdown is causing major problems for its flyers.

The airline said it was refunding fares for Saturday and Sunday flights plus a $100 credit toward future flights. It was trying to get its passengers booked onto other airlines.

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Freed reported from Minneapolis.