Spirit Airlines files for Bankruptcy Protection

[Saab34]

Final flight comms

https://twitter.com/x/status/2050472360554246468

 

[Himeno]

The US big 3 have all stated they'll hire any NK crews who want to keep working in the industry.
UA are still honoring ID90 fares for NK staff for 2 weeks, even though their credentials technically are no longer valid.

 

[kookaburra75]

Sad to see such a disrupter fall over. Hoping JetBlue can pull through and not go down the same path.

This piece in CNN sets out some of its problems. With such poor customer service ratings, a seemingly low fare isn't going to cut in. Other low cost carriers like Allegiant and Breeze are doing ok.
From the article:
“Bottom line: the day of being able to maintain business just on the basis of offering a low fare is over,” said Boyd. “It was not the price of fuel that did (Spirit) in. It just accelerated the demise of a doomed airline.”

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/05/04/business/spirit-airline-service-woes

 

[Quickstatus]

Been a bit of talk that a large chunk of the fleet even newer NEOs will simply be scrapped for parts and engines

Does Spirit own any of their aircraft?

 

[Himeno]

Does Spirit own any of their aircraft?

57 of the aircraft were owned by the airline. 20 of them were sold during the bankruptcy protection negotiations to CSDS Asset Management.

Part of the reason the planned bailout collapsed was because the US Gov wanted to take control of 90% of the airline and take full ownership of half of the fleet for US Mil use. (basically the US Gov getting 45 ~$200 million aircraft for ~$11k each.)
The airline was better able to get the cash needed to pay their debts by shutting down and selling off their assets at market rates.

 

[Happy Trails]

And all over.

As per another website. 34 years without a fatality.

Guests – Spirit Airlines

spiritrestructuring.com

No fatalities in the air, but maybe a few at the check-in desks and departure gates.

 

[Quickstatus]

Part of the reason the planned bailout collapsed was because the US Gov wanted to take control of 90% of the airline and take full ownership of half of the fleet for US Mil use

I have not found that info
In any case there were some other reasons, such as the $500Mil bailout money would most likely need approval of US Congress and it would open the door for other airlines like Jetblue to also want the same. Apparently POTUS would only agree if it was a good deal - meaning he wanted to buy it on the cheap and then sell it at a profit later.

 

[Saab34]

$500m wouldn’t have lasted too long, probably not even the whole year. Then what?

I’m not too close to the reasons around why they struggled in prior years, they made solid profits last decade, all went downhill after the pandemic. They seemed to have tried to tweak the business model in prior years, perhaps they had a identity issue, trying to convince to passengers they are someone else when everyone will always know those yellow jets for what they are, a true ULCC experience.

 

[Quickstatus]

ULCC experience.

Apparently with an extremely poor service reputation.