The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Spirit Airlines closed its crew base at Atlantic City International Airport (ACY) effective September 1, 2024. The airline said the base served 157 pilots and flight attendants and cited fewer daily departures and Pratt & Whitney engine availability problems. Spirit initially said flights at ACY would continue, but that plan was overtaken when the company cancelled all flights during its May 2, 2026, wind-down.
What Spirit announced about the Atlantic City crew base
In April 2024, Spirit said it would close its crew base at Atlantic City International Airport effective September 1, 2024. A crew base is where an airline assigns and organizes flight crews; closing one is a staffing and operations decision, not the same as closing an airport or immediately ending service there.
Spirit’s spokesperson told CBS News Philadelphia that 157 pilots and flight attendants were based at ACY. The airline cited a gradual reduction in its schedule to an average of 8–10 daily departures, depending on the season, and said about half of that flying went to its largest crew bases in Florida. It also pointed to aircraft grounded by Pratt & Whitney GTF engine availability issues and an Airbus delivery-deferral agreement. These were the airline’s stated reasons, as reported on April 9, 2024, not an independent finding about the decision. CBS News Philadelphia / Associated Press, April 9, 2024
What happened to Spirit flights at ACY
When Spirit announced the base closure, it said scheduled flights at Atlantic City would continue as planned. That was the airline’s position in 2024, not a current travel option. On May 2, 2026, Spirit Aviation Holdings announced an immediate orderly wind-down, cancelled all Spirit flights, and told passengers not to go to the airport. The company said a sudden, sustained rise in fuel prices and insufficient additional liquidity left it without an alternative. Spirit Aviation Holdings, SEC-filed announcement, May 2, 2026
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ACY’s published information now says Spirit has ceased operations at the airport and that Spirit representatives are no longer onsite. Spirit’s later company-wide shutdown changed the traveler implications; the 2024 crew-base closure alone should not be treated as the cause of that shutdown. Atlantic City International Airport, Media page
What the closure means for workers
The reported figure of 157 refers to pilots and flight attendants based at ACY, according to Spirit’s spokesperson in the 2024 report. It does not establish how many were laid off, transferred, furloughed, or otherwise affected by the base closure. The Department of Transportation reported on May 2, 2026, that other carriers had offered time-limited rebooking or fare measures for passengers and preferential employment interviews for former Spirit employees. That dated announcement does not establish that those offers remain available now. U.S. Department of Transportation, May 2, 2026
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Options for travelers using Atlantic City International Airport
ACY’s current published page lists Allegiant and Breeze service, as well as an American Airlines Landline motorcoach connection to Philadelphia International Airport. A motorcoach connection is ground transportation to PHL, not a flight departing from ACY. Routes, schedules, and availability can change; check the airport’s current airline and service information and confirm details with the operating carrier before booking. For former Spirit reservations, the airport directs passengers to Spirit’s restructuring information. Atlantic City International Airport service and passenger information
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