previously spoke to reporters<\/a> about the possibility of a taxpayer-funded bailout.<\/p>\n\u201cWell, we\u2019re looking at it, but if we can\u2019t make a good deal, no institution has been able to do it,\u201d Trump said. \u201cI said \u2018I\u2019d like to save the jobs.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
With the bailout, the government would\u2019ve been given as much as a 90% stake in the struggling company, but the proposed deal fell apart due to disagreements with the Trump administration and pushback from other creditors.<\/p>\n
Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy blamed the Biden administration for blocking a 2023 merger.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere was a proposed merger between JetBlue and Spirit, and Joe Biden and Pete Buttigieg, along with the Biden [Department of Justice], decided that they did not want that merger to take place, and this today would indicate this is not better for travelers, this is not better for pricing, this is not better for competition, actually, it\u2019s worse,\u201d said Duffy.<\/p>\n
Despite recent moves to slash routes and trim their fleet of aircraft and rising jet fuel prices, the organization\u2019s efforts to continue operating were not enough.<\/p>\n
Now, many customers may not get refunds.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re gonna be focused on their creditors, trying to get back as much money as they can there. Consumers unfortunately fall towards the bottom end of the priority chain in a liquidation event,\u201d said Nick Ewin, Senior Editorial Director at The Points Guy.<\/p>\n
The Dania Beach based airline employed nearly 20,000 people as well as thousands of contractors, with nearly half of them in South Florida, leaving their fate uncertain.<\/p>\n
Passengers shared their concerns about their flights as well.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s going to happen when we come back?\u201d asked a woman.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, we\u2019re going to be stuck,\u201d said a man.<\/p>\n
\u201cI guess we\u2019ll have to wait and see,\u201d said the woman.<\/p>\n
Other passengers are stuck and unsure about their next steps.<\/p>\n
\u201cTime is the difference. I\u2019ve been here since 6:30 this morning, and I won\u2019t get back home until about midnight tonight,\u201d said a male passenger.<\/p>\n
\u201cI won\u2019t be able to go to work in the morning, and we\u2019re staying at the airport for 24 hours,\u201d said a female passenger.<\/p>\n
Captain John Jackson\u2019s retirement flight with Spirit was canceled. <\/p>\n
\u201cMr. John Jackson,\u201d said a Southwest Airlines employee.<\/p>\n
His flight home to Baltimore ended with a hero\u2019s welcome as he disembarked. <\/p>\n
Numerous airlines, such as American Airlines and JetBlue, have offered to help passengers through special routes and capped fares to help fliers get home.<\/p>\n
\u201cUsually, we fly Spirit all of the time. Usually, it\u2019s the best affordable flight,\u201d said a male passenger. <\/p>\n
With Spirit shutting down, experts are concerned about the impact it will have on how we fly.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt couldn\u2019t come at a worse time for the airline to shut down. Air fares, which were expensive and have become more expensive, might become even more expensive without Spirit,\u201d said airline industry analyst Henry Harteveldt. <\/p>\n
To assist Spirit employees, the Department of Transportation is distributing travel pass benefits for those who need to get home, as well as preferential job interviews. <\/p>\n
American Airlines and United Airlines are also creating microsites for those who want to stay in aviation. <\/p>\n
Some of the factors that played into the closure are losses that go back to the pandemic and the continued rise of jet fuel, which has nearly doubled since the start of the conflict in Iran.<\/p>\n
Copyright 2026 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.<\/p>\n
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