Spirit Airlines traces its roots to Metro Detroit, where it launched as a charter service in 1983
Spirit Airlines, which may cease operations as soon as Saturday after negotiations over a government aid package stalled, has its origins in Metro Detroit. That's where the Clippert Trucking Company of Michigan spun off a charter flight service known as Charter One in 1983.
"Since our first flight, we've been dedicated to the idea that it should be easy to take off and go have some fun. It all started with our launch as Charter One, flying Guests from Detroit to Atlantic City, Las Vegas and the Bahamas," the company says on its website. "When we rebranded as Spirit Airlines, we doubled down on our mission: bringing more Guests to more places for more fun."
An employee union, Spirit AFA-CWA, provided additional details on its website, saying Spirit Airlines had its first headquarters in East Detroit, a community now known as Eastpointe. The airline headquarters has since moved to Miramar, Florida.
Charter One added jet aircraft to its fleet in 1992 and rebranded as Spirit Airlines at that time.
The union membership began in 2000, when over 300 Spirit Airlines flight attendants decided to organize with the Association of Flight Attendants. The initial collective bargaining agreement with Spirit Airlines and AFA-CWA took effect in 2007.
The company began a focus on a "no frills" approach to travel in 2007, the union said.
The airline industry experienced dramatic changes during early 2020, in the immediate aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, circumstances that resulted in "significant financial challenges," the union said.
"As travel began to rebound, Spirit attempted to leverage the opportunity to reevaluate its business model, ultimately trying to position itself for recovery and growth in a post-pandemic world, which has proven difficult, not just for Spirit but for all low-cost carriers alike," the union said.
An updated approach to the bundled fare logistics and customer experience began in 2024, the union said.
The company announced in fall 2025 that it was cutting back on some flights, but continued to fly out of Detroit Metro. Spirit is among the airlines assigned to Evans Terminal at Detroit Metro.
