<\/p>\n
View of a deserted Spirit Airlines counter at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Saturda,y May 2, 2026.<\/p>\n
Pedro Portal<\/p>\n
pportal@miamiherald.com<\/p>\n
READ MORE<\/p>\n
The end of Spirit Airlines<\/p>\n
\n The low-cost airline shuts down. Here\u2019s what is happening and what it means.\n <\/p>\n
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A once-busy Spirit Airlines<\/a> check-in counter now sits silent at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport after the carrier abruptly shut down operations over the weekend \u2014 leaving travelers stranded and employees out of work.<\/p>\n For passengers like Nikki Young, the disruption unfolded mid-trip.<\/p>\n Young said she was on a cruise in the Bahamas with her son when she learned her return flight had been canceled \u2014 without warning.<\/p>\n \u201cIn the middle of the ocean and found out that all our flights were canceled,\u201d Young said.<\/p>\n She said she had prepaid to check her luggage through Fort Lauderdale, but now doesn\u2019t know where it is.<\/p>\n \u201cOur luggage was prioritized to go to Spirit \u2014 Spirit doesn\u2019t know where it is, the cruise line doesn\u2019t know where it is,\u201d she said. \u201cThere was absolutely no communication.\u201d<\/p>\n Young now faces a 22-hour journey home with multiple stops.<\/p>\n Other travelers reported similar frustrations.<\/p>\n Fred Michel said he and his group were vacationing in the Dominican Republic when they discovered their flights had been canceled. They rebooked on another airline \u2014 at a steep cost.<\/p>\n \u201cWe had to spend $400 more per person. … We don\u2019t know if we\u2019re going to get\u201d a refund, Michel said.<\/p>\n MORE: \u2018What do I do now?\u2019 Former Spirit employees gather at Broward headquarters<\/a><\/p>\n Meanwhile, longtime employees were also caught off guard.<\/p>\n Oral Blackstone, a ramp supervisor who had worked for Spirit for nearly 20 years, said he walked out of the airport Monday carrying a box of his belongings \u2014 and no answers.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve never been called out one day and not even a dollar they give me, and it hurts,\u201d Blackstone said.<\/p>\n Court documents obtained by CBS News indicate the airline made the decision to shut down operations at 3 a.m. Saturday, citing safety concerns. The filing states the timing was intended to ensure no planes were in the air and that crews had time to secure accommodations.<\/p>\n Still, many passengers say the lack of advance notice and communication has made an already difficult situation worse.<\/p>\n \u201cThey should\u2019ve sent out an alert\u2026 there was absolutely no communication,\u201d Young said.<\/p>\n In response to the disruption, major airlines including American, Delta, JetBlue, Southwest,= and United are offering discounted \u201crescue fares\u201d to help stranded travelers.<\/p>\n![\"Former](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/MIA_SpiritemployeesAGS202.JPG\" "\\"MIA_SpiritemployeesAGS202.JPG\\"")
Former Spirit Airlines employees, who were recently left without jobs as the airlines closed Saturday, gather across from corporate headquarters on Monday, May 4, 2026, in Dania Beach, Fla. Alie Skowronski askowronski@miamiherald.com <\/p>\n