Low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines announced its immediate closure early Saturday after 34 years of operations, leaving thousands of passengers stranded. The airline, which operated hundreds of daily flights across the US and employed 17,000 people, had been in talks with the Trump administration for a $500m rescue package, but no deal was reached.
Spirit said on its website that all flights have been cancelled and customer service is no longer available. 'We are proud of the impact of our ultra-low-cost model on the industry over the last 34 years and had hoped to serve our guests for many years to come,' the announcement stated. The company advised customers they would receive refunds but could not help rebook travel on other airlines.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said at a press conference that several airlines, including United, Delta, JetBlue and Southwest, would cap ticket prices for Spirit customers. 'For any consumers worried about higher prices, American Airlines and Delta Air Lines are offering reduced fares on high-volume Spirit routes,' he added. Allegiant has frozen fares on overlapping routes, and Frontier is offering up to 50% off base fares until May 10.
Spirit had been in bankruptcy proceedings for the second time in less than two years, with jet fuel prices soaring due to the Iran war. The airline lost more than $2.5bn since the start of 2020 and filed for Chapter 11 protection in November 2024, then again in August 2025 with $8.1bn in debts and $8.6bn in assets. President Donald Trump had floated a bailout but no agreement was reached.
The Association of Flight Attendants said Spirit would cover hotels and airfare for flight attendants returning home. The union stated: 'While the country has had a blast making Spirit the butt of the joke, we’ve built a strength together... Spirit is in our blood and that makes us family.' About 17,000 jobs are affected by the closure.
