WITH HOW IT’S AFFECTING TRAVELERS TONIGHT. FELICITY. YEAH. CHANDI. THERE WAS NO OFFICIAL WARNING ON THIS FOR AIRPORTS OR THOSE TRAVELERS IN SPIRIT HAS NOT GIVEN THEM A LOT OF COMMUNICATION SINCE THAT ORIGINAL CANCELLATION. ABOUT WHAT TO DO NEXT, ABOUT GETTING YOUR MONEY BACK. WE TALKED TO PEOPLE AFFECTED BY THIS ON ALL SIDES. THEY’VE ALWAYS FELT A LITTLE DISORGANIZED, JUST JUST WITH MY EXPERIENCES, I’VE HAD KEVIN RABBITS AND PAULINA NEUSCHWANDER FROM MURRYSVILLE CHECKED INTO THEIR SPIRIT FLIGHT, GOING FROM ORLANDO TO PITTSBURGH AT 10 P.M. LAST NIGHT. HOURS LATER, THEY GOT A NOTIFICATION IT HAD BEEN CANCELED. I MEAN, WE WERE ALL KIND OF JUST LIKE, GREAT, LIKE, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO? WE WERE ALL LIKE STRESSING OUT. WE WERE UP TILL LIKE FIVE IN THE MORNING LOOKING AT FLIGHTS. THE BEST, MOST AFFORDABLE OPTION THEY FOUND IS AN ALLEGIANT FLIGHT ON MONDAY OUT OF ORLANDO’S OTHER AIRPORT, AN HOUR AWAY. WE DIDN’T HAVE ANY ADVANCE NOTICE. IT’S A VERY, VERY VITAL PART OF THE AIRPORT ITSELF. NOT ONLY FOR US, BUT ALL THE ECONOMIC IMPACT. NO FLIGHTS COMING INTO PITTSBURGH AREA AIRPORTS AND NO FLIGHTS GOING OUT EITHER. SPIRIT WAS THE ONLY AIRLINE SERVICING THE ARNOLD PALMER REGIONAL AIRPORT IN WESTMORELAND COUNTY. RIGHT NOW, THE MAIN ACTION INSIDE THE AIRPORT IS A D’ANNUNZIO’S RESTAURANT. WE ARE GOING TO MISS THEM. WE ARE GOING TO MISS THE PASSENGERS. OUR EMPLOYEES HERE WILL MISS THEM, BUT WE’LL DO OUR BEST TO CONTINUE TO ADJUST. THE AIRPORT HAS LOST U.S. AIR, NORTHWEST AIR AND NOW SPIRIT. THEY SAY THEY’LL QUICKLY FIND A WAY TO OVERCOME LIKE THEY ALWAYS DO, AND WELCOME BACK COMMERCIAL TRAVELERS. WE HAVE OUR FEELERS OUT FOR OTHER AIRLINES WE’VE BEEN TALKING WITH EVEN BEFORE SPIRIT DECIDED TO CEASE OPERATIONS. AND THOSE TALKS HAVE BEEN GOING VERY WELL. EVERYONE IS STILL WAITING ON NEXT STEPS FROM SPIRIT. IN THE MEANTIME, THOUGH, THE ARNOLD PALMER AIRPORT IS ACTUALLY STILL OPEN BECAUSE THEY DO HAVE CHARTER FLIGHTS THAT ARE STILL GO
Spirit Airlines shutdown affects Pittsburghers, Arnold Palmer airport
Spirit was the only commercial airline servicing Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in Latrobe
Updated: 11:16 AM EDT May 3, 2026
Spirit Airlines’ abrupt stop of service has left local travelers scrambling for alternatives and one local airport without commercial service.Kevin Rabbits and Paulina Neuschwander, of Murrysville, were among the affected passengers. They checked in for their Spirit flight from Orlando to Pittsburgh at 10 p.m. Friday, but received a notification hours later that the flight had been canceled.“It was upsetting,” Rabbits said. “We were all kind of just, like, ‘Great, what are we going to do?’ We were all stressing out. We were up until 5 in the morning looking at flights.” The best and most affordable option they found was an Allegiant flight on Monday, departing from Orlando’s other airport, which is an hour away in Sanford, Florida. The cancellation has also impacted Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in Latrobe, where Spirit was the only commercial airline servicing the facility. “We didn’t have any advance notice,” said Maurice Haas, executive director of the Westmoreland County Airport Authority. “It’s a very vital part of the airport itself, not only for us, but all the economic impact.” With no commercial flights coming in or leaving, the main activity at the airport now centers around Denunzio’s Restaurant.“We are going to miss them. We are going to miss the passengers. Our employees here will miss them, but we’ll do our best to continue to adjust,” said Anthony M. Denunzio II.The airport previously lost service from US Airways and Northwest Airlines, and now Spirit. Officials say they are working to bring in new commercial airlines.“We have feelers out for other airlines that we’ve been talking with even before Spirit decided to cease operations, and those talks have been going very well,” Haas said. While the next steps from Spirit remain unclear, Palmer Airport continues to operate charter flights.Download the WTAE app to stay connected with breaking news. Sign up for our email newsletters to get breaking news in your inbox.
UNITY TOWNSHIP, Pa. —
Spirit Airlines’ abrupt stop of service has left local travelers scrambling for alternatives and one local airport without commercial service.
Kevin Rabbits and Paulina Neuschwander, of Murrysville, were among the affected passengers. They checked in for their Spirit flight from Orlando to Pittsburgh at 10 p.m. Friday, but received a notification hours later that the flight had been canceled.
“It was upsetting,” Rabbits said. “We were all kind of just, like, ‘Great, what are we going to do?’ We were all stressing out. We were up until 5 in the morning looking at flights.”
The best and most affordable option they found was an Allegiant flight on Monday, departing from Orlando’s other airport, which is an hour away in Sanford, Florida.
The cancellation has also impacted Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in Latrobe, where Spirit was the only commercial airline servicing the facility.
“We didn’t have any advance notice,” said Maurice Haas, executive director of the Westmoreland County Airport Authority. “It’s a very vital part of the airport itself, not only for us, but all the economic impact.”
With no commercial flights coming in or leaving, the main activity at the airport now centers around Denunzio’s Restaurant.
“We are going to miss them. We are going to miss the passengers. Our employees here will miss them, but we’ll do our best to continue to adjust,” said Anthony M. Denunzio II.
The airport previously lost service from US Airways and Northwest Airlines, and now Spirit. Officials say they are working to bring in new commercial airlines.
“We have feelers out for other airlines that we’ve been talking with even before Spirit decided to cease operations, and those talks have been going very well,” Haas said.
While the next steps from Spirit remain unclear, Palmer Airport continues to operate charter flights.
Download the WTAE app to stay connected with breaking news. Sign up for our email newsletters to get breaking news in your inbox.