Spirit Airlines has ceased operations, effective
immediately, the bankrupt carrier announced Saturday morning. A Friday Wall
Street Journal article had reported that the carrier was on the cusp of
collapse.
"For more than 30 years, Spirit Airlines has played a
pioneering role in making travel more accessible and bringing people together
while driving affordability across the industry," president and CEO Dave
Davis said in a statement. "In March 2026, we reached an agreement with
our bondholders on a restructuring plan that would have allowed us to emerge as
a go-forward business. However, the sudden and sustained rise in fuel prices in
recent weeks ultimately has left us with no alternative but to pursue an orderly
wind-down of the Company."
Spirit had been in talks with the government for a $500
million bailout, but those discussions fell through, the WSJ reported.
The U.S. Department of Transportation announced actions
"to support Spirit ticketholders, the general flying public, and airline
employees impacted by Spirit ceasing operations."
American Airlines, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines,
JetBlue, Southwest Airlines, Allegiant Air, Frontier Airlines, Avelo Airlines
and Breeze Airways have each agreed to support affected Spirit travelers in
different ways, according to DOT. Some are providing capped and/or reduced
fares for limited periods of time or for specific routes.
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RELATED: Report:
Spirit Prepares to Wind Down Operations
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In addition, Avianca is "making its route network and
seat capacity available to the authorities and affected passengers to help
mitigate the impact and support the continuity of travelers' plans,"
according to the carrier.
DOT recommends checking each airlines' website for more
details.
Spirit said it would automatically process refunds for any
flights purchased through Spirit with a credit or debit card to the original
form of payment. Guests who booked flights via a travel agent should contact
the agent directly to request a refund.