WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Spirit Airlines, an impish upstart that shook the industry with its irreverent ads and deep discount fares, announced Saturday that it has gone out of business after 34 years.
The ultra-low cost airline that once operated hundreds of daily flights on its bright yellow planes and employed about 17,000 people said it had “started an orderly wind-down of our operations, effective immediately.”
The airline said on its website that all flights have been canceled 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 said.
The company advised customers that they could expect refunds but there would be no help in booking travel on other airlines.
The shutdown was expected after Friday came and went without a needed government bailout for the cash-strapped business.
President Donald Trump said Friday that his administration had given the budget carrier a “final proposal” for ataxpayer-funded takeoverto keep it from going under, but a deal was not reached.
Trumpfloated the ideaof a bailout last week after the airline found itself in bankruptcy proceedings for the second time in less than two years withjet fuel pricessoaring because of theIran war. About 17,000 jobs could be impacted by a shutdown, Spirit lawyer Marshall Huebner said.
Spirit has struggled financially since the COVID-19 pandemic, weighed down by rising operating costs and growing debt. By the time itfiled for Chapter 11 protectionin November 2024, Spirit had lost more than $2.5 billion since the start of 2020.
The budget carrier sought bankruptcy protection againin August 2025, when it reported having $8.1 billion in debts and $8.6 billion in assets, according to court filings.
Source: Drudge Report
