Spirit Airlines resumed about 20 flights Thursday afternoon. The pilots first went on strike on Saturday.
For passengers, the end of the strike is providing some much needed relief after a week of frustration. “Everything was canceled and I got an email at 8 this morning that this flight was going,” said passenger Sid Wolk.
Last Saturday the carrier’s pilots walked off the job in a salary dispute. Late Wednesday afternoon their union and the air carrier agreed to a deal which must ratified by the pilots next month.
The pilots union called for a strike after three years of contract negotiations broke down. The pilots wanted a pay raise comparable to pilots at other discount carriers. The end of the strike was also welcome news for Spirit Airlines flight attendants who were temporarily furloughed during the strike.
Those with tickets for Thursday’s or Friday’s flight are urged to confirm their status at SpiritAir.com.
The Miramar-based airline carries 16,680 passengers per day — about 1 percent of the U.S. total. Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport is Spirit’s main hub, where it is the only airline to 14 international cities and five U.S. cities.