Overview
- Spirit Airlines has gone out of business after a sharp rise in jet fuel costs crushed its ultra‑low‑fare model, disrupting travel and putting roughly 15,000 employees in limbo.
- Opinion writers split on the cause, with USA Today and Fox News blaming Democratic antitrust leaders for blocking a JetBlue tie‑up and a former Justice Department attorney in Fortune pointing to an unforeseen fuel spike.
- During the 2023–2024 merger fight, Spirit also considered a Frontier deal and testified it had a plan to return to profitability on its own, which Fortune cites to argue liquidation was not presented as inevitable.
- The loss of Spirit removes a price‑checking player on many routes, and its aircraft, gates, and airport slots are likely to be absorbed by larger airlines, which could mean fewer ultra‑cheap options at some airports.
- The Fortune analysis urges updating merger reviews to reflect real‑world limits like scarce planes, gates, slots, and pilots, and it calls for policies that expand capacity through aircraft supply, FAA staffing, and added airport infrastructure.