finance
Spirit Airlines Ceases Operations After 34 Years
Spirit Airlines announced it has gone out of business and started an orderly wind-down of operations effective May 2, 2026. The ultra-low-cost carrier, which employed more than 17,000 people, cited inability to secure federal funding. All flights are cancelled, with refunds processed for affected passengers.
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Spirit Airlines ceased operations effective immediately on May 2, 2026, after 34 years in business, the company announced. The airline started an orderly wind-down of operations on that date, leaving more than 17,000 employees without jobs. Spirit Airlines was unable to secure enough funding from the federal government, including a hoped-for $500 million bailout from the Trump administration.
Com. Approximately 277 Spirit Airlines flights scheduled for Saturday were cancelled, with a majority out of the Southeast, according to FlightAware. m.
7 million passengers in February 2026, down half a million from February 2025, according to the Associated Press. The airline's seating capacity in May 2026 was reduced to half as many seats as in May 2024, the Associated Press reported. Spirit Airlines employed approximately 17,000 personnel by the end of 2025, NBC News reported.
The airline had been hit hard by the dramatic decrease in travel from Covid restrictions in 2020. Spirit Airlines filed for bankruptcy twice in less than a year. Spirit Airlines first began operations as a Michigan-based trucking company before turning to airline operations in the 1980s.
Passengers who had tickets for the cancelled Spirit Airlines flights will receive automatic refund payments back into their accounts, the company stated. Passengers who used a travel agent for Spirit Airlines tickets were told to go through their liaison for refunds. Repayment for Spirit Airlines bookings using vouchers or Free Spirit points will be determined in bankruptcy court.
Southwest Airlines offered special access fares to assist travelers impacted by Spirit Airlines' cessation of operations. Student Mariel Vargas-vonBreymann added, 'I mean, I’d probably have to pick the next cheapest way. Another passenger, Rayeed Abubaker, told NBCLA, 'Nobody’s there, and I’m kinda confused.
