Spirit Airlines Picks New CEO From Rival Sun Country

Dave Davis, formerly chief financial officer and president of Sun Country Airlines, will become Spirit’s CEO next week, the airline announced Thursday (April 17).

“We’re excited to welcome Dave as Spirit’s new president and CEO,” Robert Milton, chairman of Spirit Airlines, said in a news release.

“He brings with him a wealth of experience and a solid track record of accomplishments from his many years in the airline industry. Dave’s background at both Northwest Airlines and, more recently, at Sun Country Airlines, positions him well to lead Spirit’s continued transformation.”

Also Thursday, Spirit announced two other leadership appointments. Duncan Dee, a veteran airline analyst and former Air Canada executive, has been named the company’s new senior vice president for corporate communications.

In addition, Trey Urbahn, a veteran of five airlines — Etihad, Breeze, Azul, TAP Air Portugal and JetBlue — has been named Spirit’s senior commercial advisor, tasked with helping to guide “all aspects of Spirit’s commercial efforts including network, pricing and yield management, as well as the airline’s onboard configurations and offerings.”

Davis replaces Ted Christine, who stepped down as Spirit’s CEO earlier this month after more than a dozen years with the airline.

As noted here at the time, Spirit struggled during his tenure, facing rising costs and changing consumer expectations, as travelers increasingly gravitated toward premium services and more comfortable experiences.

The airline’s financial struggles led to a bankruptcy filing in November of last year, following prolonged losses, substantial debt and failed merger efforts. The company emerged from bankruptcy last month.

Spirit had previously been in talks with Frontier Group as far back as 2022, only to shift to a more lucrative bid from JetBlue Airways. However, that merger was ultimately halted by a judge over competition concerns, cutting off what could have been a lifeline for the carrier.

To revitalize its business, Spirit has projected that moving toward premium services could raise revenue by up to 13% per passenger. The company also plans to upgrade its loyalty program and explore strategic partnerships with other airlines to bolster its market position.

As PYMNTS wrote earlier this week, other airlines are also focusing more on premium services. Delta Air Lines said last week that it saw continued resilience in its premium, loyalty and international businesses during the March quarter, while its domestic and main cabin businesses were soft.

“Coming into 2025, we were positioned for another year of strong growth,” CEO Ed Bastian said during the company’s earnings call. “However, given broad economic uncertainty around global trade, growth has largely stalled.”