Spirit Airlines Taps Sun Country Exec to Be CEO

Key Points

• Spirit Airlines appointed Dave Davis, former Sun Country president and CFO, as its new CEO amid its post-bankruptcy recovery.
• Spirit is pursuing profitability through offering free Wi-Fi, snacks, and loyalty program reforms, while also bringing on a new senior commercial advisor.
• The airline faces significant economic uncertainty and competition, especially as legacy carriers remain better positioned in a possible recession.

Summary

Spirit Airlines has named Dave Davis, previously president and CFO at Sun Country Airlines, as its new CEO as the carrier attempts to recover from bankruptcy and reestablish itself as a profitable, standalone ultra-low-cost carrier. The company is implementing new strategies such as offering free Wi-Fi, snacks, and loyalty program changes, and has also appointed Trey Urbahn as senior commercial advisor. Spirit faces ongoing industry challenges, including economic uncertainty, competitive pressures from both ultra-low-cost and legacy carriers, and the fallout from failed merger talks with both JetBlue and Frontier Airlines.