AdvertisementA Spirit executive blamed mainline carriers for some of its financial woes during a Senate hearing. He said some airlines "manufactured" a pilot shortage and that others want Spirit "out of business." A Spirit Airlines executive blamed competitors for some of its financial and operational woes during a congressional hearing on Wednesday, pointing to factors including pilot staffing and limited airport access. Chief commercial officer Matthew Klein told a Senate subcommittee that Spirit hasn't been able to grow because the mainline airlines "manufactured" a pilot shortage during the pandemic and "poached" Spirit's pilots. Spirit pilots are not paid as much as mainline pilots and could have left the company for better working conditions.

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Persons: Matthew Klein, hasn't, Spirit's, Klein, gunning, Scott Kirby, Robert Schroeder Organizations: Spirit Airlines, Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, United Airlines, Frontier Airlines, Airbus, Business, Spirit, Budget, Frontier, SVP Locations: United