Spirit CEO Slams Airline Industry as 'Rigged Game' as Carrier's Losses Widen


Skift Take

Spirit CEO Ted Christie had some choice words for the current state of the airline industry as the ultra-low-cost carrier reported a greater first-quarter loss.

Spirit CEO Ted Christie criticized the current state of the airline industry, saying that profits have been “concentrated around two companies,” during a call with analysts on Monday. 

“The smaller non-legacy carriers scrambled to restore profitability in what seems ever more like a rigged game,” Christie said on the call. “The Big 4 are the beneficiaries of this new normal, American consumers are the long-term losers.”

The “Big 4” carriers — American, Delta, United and Southwest — have reported record revenues since the pandemic. In particular, Delta,