Dave Davis to Replace Ted Christie as Spirit CEO Post-Bankruptcy

Sun Country President and CEO Dave Davis unexpectedly stepped down from his role on April 16 to pursue the top spot at recently bankruptcy-free Spirit Airlines. This follows former Spirit CEO Ted Christie’s resignation on April 7.

Christie led Spirit through a long five years of financial battles and pandemic-related bumps since he took over the airline in 2019. The carrier remained in the dumps until several failed merger deals, including with JetBlue and Frontier, forced it to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in November 2024.

Months later, on March 12, 2025, Spirit was able to emerge from Chapter 11 proceedings with more pep than ever. It excitedly shared plans to move away from its long-standing no-frills image in favor of a more premium, leisure-focused market by adding routes, boosting guest experiences, and looking into partnerships.

At the time, there was no reason for the industry to suspect a leadership change - Spirit actually stated that it would “continue to be led by Ted Christie, President and Chief Executive Officer, and its existing executive team.”

Just when the carrier’s drama seemed to have settled, it was left without a CEO. Christie’s role was temporarily taken over by Chief Financial Officer Fred Cromer, Chief Operating Officer John Bendoraitis, and General Counsel Thomas Canfield as Spirit worked to find his successor.

Now, 10 days after Christie resigned, his replacement was plucked from rival airline Sun Country. Dave Davis stepped down as CEO of Sun Country Airlines on April 16 before being named Spirit CEO the following day.

"We're excited to welcome Dave as Spirit's new President and CEO,” stated Robert Milton, Chairman of Spirit Airlines. “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.”

FMI: www.spirit.com