SATURDAY AND EVEN YOUR SUNDAY FORECAST COMING UP IN JUST A FEW MINUTES. ALL RIGHT, NIKKI, THANK YOU. WE NOW GO TO BREAKING NEWS AS SPIRIT AIRLINES IS HALTING OPERATIONS AS OF THREE THIS MORNING. THIS IS ACCORDING TO TWO SOURCES THAT ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE CARRIER’S PLANS. PASSENGERS WHO HAVE FLIGHTS ON FRIDAY WERE CONCERNED ABOUT RUMORS THAT THE. THAT SPIRIT AIRLINES MIGHT STOP ITS FLIGHTS. IN FACT, THAT FORT LAUDERDALE AIRPORT. ONE MAN SAYS THAT HE WAS SUPPOSED TO GO TO HOUSTON FOR WORK. BUT ONCE THE NEWS OF THE AIRLINE CEASING OPERATIONS CAME, HE SAID THAT. SO DID HIS FLIGHT PLANS. YOU GUYS WASTED A LOT OF LIKE, THEY WASTE A LOT OF APPOINTMENTS THAT I HAD TODAY, AND I WASN’T ABLE TO MAKE IT TWO TIMES. I HAD TO GET OFF THE AIRPLANE. I GOT IN THE FIRST TIME THE FLIGHT GOT DELAYED AND THEY HAD TO THEY DEPLANE US, GO BACK TO THE TERMINAL, AND THEN BACK AGAIN TO THE PLANE. AND THEN THEY CANCELED THE FLIGHT. SPIRIT AIRLINES, WHICH IS THE LARGEST EMPLOYER IN BROWARD COUNTY, HAS FILED FOR BANKRUPTCY TWICE. AND FOR THE PAST WEEKS, PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP HAS BEEN TRYING TO NEGOTIATE A BAILOUT PLAN FOR THE BUDGET AIRLINE. BUT SOME OF THE AIRLINE’S CREDITORS SAID NO DEAL. SPIRIT’S DECISION TO CEASE OPERATIONS REPRESENTS THE FIRST SIGNIFICANT U.S. AIRLINE TO DO SO IN NEARLY A QUARTER CENTURY, 17,000 OF THE AIRLINE’S EMPLOYEES WILL NOW BE OUT OF A JOB, AND SPIRIT PASSENGERS NOW HAVE TO TAKE DIFFERENT KIND OF TRAVEL PLANS A LITTLE BIT EARLIER NOW. AND ALSO, WE KNOW THAT OTHER AIRLINES HAVE SAID THAT THEY WOULD STEP IN TO HELP. ACCORDING TO FLIGHTAWARE, THESE. THIS IS A LOOK AT THE CANCELLATIONS THAT ARE LARGELY IMPACTED BY SPIRIT AIRLINES. IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT THAT BOTTOM NUMBER THERE, 85 OUT OF THAT 89 NUMBER OF CANCELLATIONS
Facts about Florida-based Spirit Airlines
The carrier ended operations Saturday morning after 34 years in business
Updated: 12:56 PM EDT May 2, 2026
Florida-based Spirit Airlines said early Saturday it’s shutting down after 34 years, ending operations immediately.Here are facts about the carrier: Headquarters: Dania BeachDestinations: 72. Main: Atlantic City, Chicago O’Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, Detroit Metropolitan, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood, Houston George Bush, Las Vegas Harry Reid, Miami International, Newark Liberty, Orlando. Before closure, 300 flights a day.History: Started as Clippert Trucking Company in 1964. In 1974, the company changed its name to Ground Air Transfer, Inc. In 1983, the airline service was founded in Macomb County, Michigan, by Ned Homfeld as Charter One Airlines. In May 1992, Charter One brought jet aircraft into the fleet and changed its name to Spirit Airlines. In April 1993, Spirit Airlines began scheduled service to Orlando, Fort Lauderdale and St. Petersburg.Financial woes: $3.7 billion revenue in 2025, with $2.7 billion net loss, including more than $2 billion in organizational expenses. First filed for bankruptcy in November 2024, emerged after financial restructuring in March 2025, filed again in August 2025. Ceased operations May 2. The federal government blocked a proposed merger between Spirit and JetBlue in 2023.Employees: 11,331Aircraft: 93 with an average age of 8.5 years (all Airbus)Passengers:Nationally in 2025: Seventh in the U.S. with 32 million. American is first with 223.5 million, United second with 181 million, Delta third with 180 million, Southwest fourth with 168.5 million, Alaska fifth with 58.6 million, JetBlue sixth with 39.3 million, and Frontier eighth with 30.0 million.At Palm Beach International for 12 months ending March: Ninth with 61,055 passengers. JetBlue was No. 1 with 1.11 million, Delta No. 2 with 1.10 million. Total 4.3 million.At Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood for 12 months ending March: First with 2.3 million passengers, JetBlue second with 2.0 million, Delta third with 1.1 million. Total 9.4 million.At Miami International for 12 months ending January: Eighth with 110,000. American was first with 2.8 million, Delta second with 356,000. Total 5.1 million.
DANIA BEACH, Fla. —
Florida-based Spirit Airlines said early Saturday it’s shutting down after 34 years, ending operations immediately.
Here are facts about the carrier:
Headquarters: Dania Beach
Destinations: 72. Main: Atlantic City, Chicago O’Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, Detroit Metropolitan, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood, Houston George Bush, Las Vegas Harry Reid, Miami International, Newark Liberty, Orlando. Before closure, 300 flights a day.
History: Started as Clippert Trucking Company in 1964. In 1974, the company changed its name to Ground Air Transfer, Inc. In 1983, the airline service was founded in Macomb County, Michigan, by Ned Homfeld as Charter One Airlines. In May 1992, Charter One brought jet aircraft into the fleet and changed its name to Spirit Airlines. In April 1993, Spirit Airlines began scheduled service to Orlando, Fort Lauderdale and St. Petersburg.
Financial woes: $3.7 billion revenue in 2025, with $2.7 billion net loss, including more than $2 billion in organizational expenses. First filed for bankruptcy in November 2024, emerged after financial restructuring in March 2025, filed again in August 2025. Ceased operations May 2. The federal government blocked a proposed merger between Spirit and JetBlue in 2023.
Employees: 11,331
Aircraft: 93 with an average age of 8.5 years (all Airbus)
Passengers:
Nationally in 2025: Seventh in the U.S. with 32 million. American is first with 223.5 million, United second with 181 million, Delta third with 180 million, Southwest fourth with 168.5 million, Alaska fifth with 58.6 million, JetBlue sixth with 39.3 million, and Frontier eighth with 30.0 million.
At Palm Beach International for 12 months ending March: Ninth with 61,055 passengers. JetBlue was No. 1 with 1.11 million, Delta No. 2 with 1.10 million. Total 4.3 million.
At Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood for 12 months ending March: First with 2.3 million passengers, JetBlue second with 2.0 million, Delta third with 1.1 million. Total 9.4 million.
At Miami International for 12 months ending January: Eighth with 110,000. American was first with 2.8 million, Delta second with 356,000. Total 5.1 million.