After nearly two years of bankruptcy filings and financial stress, Spirit Airlines officially closed its doors on May 2, 2026. The popular low-cost airline was previously seeking to merge with JetBlue Airways, but after that failed, Spirit closed its doors and canceled countless flights.
Below, find out the final nail in Spirit Airlines’ coffin and what else we know about its closure — including what you can do if your flight is cancelled.
Will Spirit Airlines go out of business?
Yes. As previously reported, Spirit officially announced its closure on May 1, 2026. A statement from the company read: “It is with great regret that on May 2, 2026, Spirit Airlines began the orderly liquidation of our operations, effective immediately. To our guests: All flights have been canceled, and customer service is no longer available.”
How many employees does Spirit Airlines have?
Spirit Airlines employed about 17,000 employees as of 2025, according to NBC News.
Why did Spirit Airlines close?
Spirit cited rising oil prices amid the 2026 war with Iran as the reason behind its closure.
“Despite the company’s efforts, the recent material increase in oil prices and other pressures on the business have significantly impacted Spirit’s financial outlook,” the company’s statement said. “With no additional financing available for the company, Spirit had no choice but to initiate this liquidation process.”
The spirit of the president and CEO Dave Davis “Sustaining the business requires hundreds of millions of additional dollars of liquidity that Spirit simply does not have and cannot obtain,” the company added to the announcement.
Davis went on to note that the company was “grateful to the relentless Spirit team for their tremendous efforts during our restructuring,” adding: “They have tirelessly provided a safe, affordable and award-winning option for the traveling public.”
Will Spirit Airlines customers receive refunds for canceled flights?
Once Spirit’s customer service stopped, travelers scrambled to figure out how to get refunds for their canceled flights.
“While we are unable to assist in rebooking your flight on another airline, we will automatically process refunds for any flights purchased through Spirit using a credit or debit card to the original payment method,” the company wrote in a public statement via X.
