Spirit Airlines announced Thursday that Sun Country president and chief financial officer Dave Davis would be its new CEO.
Davis, who was also chief financial officer of Northwest Airlines before it was acquired by Delta Air Lines, will start at Spirit on Monday.
The appointment comes as the Spirit is seeking to chart out a path to profitability as a standalone carrier post-bankruptcy. Part of Spirit’s post-bankruptcy plan included offering free Wi-Fi and snacks to customers and reforming its loyalty program.
Spirit added that Trey Urbahn, who has held executive roles at Etihad and TAP Air Portugal and served on the board of Breeze Airways, would be the company’s senior commercial advisor.
The carrier filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last year to restructure its debt due to years of losses after its merger with JetBlue was struck down in court. CEO Ted Christie and chief commercial officer Matt Klein left Spirit earlier this month.
Spirit was also in talks with Frontier Airlines about a merger, but those talks soon collapsed after Spirit said Frontier’s plan would “deliver less value.”
Guiding Spirit Through Economic Uncertainty
Sun Country has become one of the most profitable carriers in the U.S., despite the challenging landscape for ultra-low-cost carriers as demand for premium and international travel continues to be strong.
The Minneapolis-based carrier has developed a niche market in Minnesota, along with a cargo and charter business that have boosted its bottom line.
As CEO of Spirit, Davis now also faces the task of guiding the ultra-low-cost carrier through economic uncertainty.
Last week, Frontier pulled its 2025 forecast, citing “the current environment,” which was sparked by the shifting policies of the Trump administration.
Wall Street analysts have also said that they believe legacy carriers like Delta and United Airlines would be better positioned in the event of a recession due to their diversified products. Both carriers said during calls with analysts that they were continuing to see high demand for premium and international travel.
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