Spirit Airlines has tapped Dave Davis of Sun Country Airlines to be its CEO, effective April 21.
Davis stepped down as president and CFO of Sun Country after seven-plus years with the Minneapolis-based discount and charter carrier.
Davis was also CFO at Northwest Airlines, stepping down in 2008 as the carrier was in the process of merging into Delta.
He'll join Spirit as the carrier is fighting to get back on its feet following its exit from Chapter 11 bankruptcy restructuring on March 13. Former Spirit CEO Ted Christie resigned on April 8.
Davis will be tasked with transforming Spirit into an airline with more appeal to midmarket and premium flyers in an effort to reverse steep post-pandemic operating losses. But to start, he'll be doing so as U.S. airlines are faced with weakened domestic demand amid declining consumer confidence and economic uncertainty.
Southwest's plan to offer a basic economy fare for the first time will also present a fresh challenge for Spirit, as will a decision by United (and likely the other legacy U.S. carriers) to sell more basic economy tickets.
Spirit exited Chapter 11 having bolstered its balance sheet with bondholders converting $795 million in debt to equity. The airline recorded a net loss of $1.23 billion last year and ended 2024 with $902.1 million in cash equivalents.
"I am thrilled to join Spirit at this critical time in the company's history," Davis said in a prepared remark. "I look forward to working with the more than 11,000 Spirit team members to deliver value for our guests, shareholders and the communities that we serve."