Spirit Airlines prepares to cease operations amid financial struggles and high oil prices

Spirit Airlines is preparing to cease operations after the beleaguered company ran out of cash and a rescue attempt by the Trump administration appeared to stall.

The company struggled to make a deal with its creditors and secure funding to maintain operations, according to a Wall Street Journal report citing people familiar with the matter.

After earlier reports that Spirit was close to liquidation, the Trump administration said it was working out a deal to keep the carrier afloat, including a potential $500m loan from the federal government.

Donald Trump said last week he was aware the company has been struggling and even suggested the federal government could buy out the carrier amid.

“We’re thinking about doing it, helping them out, meaning bailing them out, or buying it,” Trump said, adding that the government could “sell it for a profit” when oil prices come down.

If Spirit ends up in liquidation, it will be the first major US carrier to liquidate since the 2008 recession.

Spirit and other airlines have been struggling with high oil prices that have pushed up the price of jet fuel. The company’s woes predated the war in Iran, though, as the company has struggled to increase post-pandemic demand.

In 2024, a federal judge blocked a $3.8bn merger between JetBlue and Spirit on antitrust grounds, saying the merger would reduce competition among airlines and harm customers.

The White House, in earlier statements, said the company would “be on a much firmer financial footing had the Biden administration not recklessly blocked the airline’s merger with JetBlue”.

Spirit and the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.