Former Spirit Airlines
CEO Ben Baldanza has sadly passed away at the age of 62 following a battle with ALS. The pioneering airline exec is best known for spearheading Spirit’s transformation in the mid-2000s and introducing many ultra-low-cost staples of the industry today.
Ben Baldanza passes away aged 62
Since stepping away from Spirit, Baldanza continued to be a force in the industry, including serving on the board of JetBlue Airways and launching an influential podcast. News of his passing was revealed by Scott McCartney, host of the Airlines Confidential podcast created by Baldanza, at the beginning of the latest episode. McCartney said,
“Ben was a pioneering and visionary airline executive who made air travel affordable for millions of people. And he was much more: a generous teacher, a clever and funny wit, an amazing communicator who could explain complicated concepts with simple clarity. A competitive strategist and a devoted friend.”
It was in 2022 that Baldanza learned of his ALS diagnosis and the symptoms progressively worsened, preventing him from making his podcast contributions. Baldanza was able to use an emerging form of voice AI to replicate his voice and continued delivering his insights until stepping away this August.
Through his AI-powered voice, Baldanza said on his final podcast episode that “the energy I do have needs to be spent with my family and on my health.” He is survived by his wife, Marcia, and their son, Enzo, as well as family, including sisters Lia Farrington and Judy Looker, and brother, Joe Baldanza.
A fascinating career
Starting his career at American Airlines in the 1980s, Baldanza rose to become a VP at Continental Airlines and US Airways before his stint as Spirit CEO began in 2005. The airline was loss-making at the time, but Baldanza’s changes eventually turned things around.
Photo: Leonard Zhukovsky | Shutterstock
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The Man Who Transformed Spirit Airlines: Ben Baldanza
The executive evolved Spirit to become an ultra-low-cost carrier.
This included unbundling Spirit fares down to the bare minimum, and charging fees for services like seat selection, food and drink, and baggage. The Spirit brand grew considerably under Baldanza’s tenure, aided by quirky advertisements and Baldanza’s own outspoken style of leadership. He would often refer to his aircraft as “buses with wings” and believed Spirit to be the “dollar store of the sky”.
He would notably become the target of criticism by passengers and the government for his no-frills policies, even facing a congressional hearing over the matter. By the time he stepped down in 2016, Spirit was one of the country’s most profitable airlines.
Baldanza would then join JetBlue’s board of directors as well as the same position at amusement park company Six Flags Entertainment. He also served as an adjunct professor of economics at George Mason University, teaching a course called ‘Airline Economics’.