Struggling Spirit Airlines 'pleads for help from Trump' as financial collapse looms

By LAUREN ACTON-TAYLOR, US NEWS REPORTER Published: 06:06, 18 April 2026 | Updated: 06:08, 18 April 2026 Spirit Airlines has reportedly asked the Trump administration for an emergency bailout as the struggling airline nears closer to financial collapse amid increasing fuel prices.  The air carrier approached the current administration with hopes of being saved from imminent liquidation as the war in Iran continues to send fuel prices soaring, potentially preventing the company from being able to repay a multimillion-dollar debt.  Sources told The Air Current that the budget airline is seeking hundreds of millions of dollars in emergency funding as several low-cost airline executives are set to meet with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy next week.  An executive familiar with the matter told the Current that the Department of Transportation requested the meeting to evaluate how smaller airlines are faring in the US.  A source later told CBS News that 'Spirit is looking for a lifeline.'  On Wednesday, airline industry analyst Henry Harteveldt told the outlet that Spirit 'is flying on financial fumes.' 'I would tell Spirit flyers to start looking for backup reservations just to be on the safe side,' he added.  An official with the Department of Transportation told The Independent that they were keeping an eye on the situation but wouldn't confirm if the company had asked for any funding.  Spirit Airlines reportedly approached the Trump administration for hundreds of millions in bailout money to save the budget carrier from liquidation The airline has hopes of being saved from imminent liquidation as the war in Iran sends fuel prices soaring, potentially curbing the company's ability to repay a multimillion-dollar debt On Wednesday, airline industry analyst Henry Harteveldt said that Spirit 'is flying on financial fumes' The airline took a downturn following the Covid-19 pandemic after a failed merger with JetBlue and customer habits changed the market.   But, things were looking up for Spirit in 2024 as hopes of exiting bankruptcy became a real possibility following an agreement with creditors that sought to eliminate billions in debt and would reduce its Airbus jet fleet.  The carrier filed for bankruptcy twice between November 2024 and August 2025, and it currently remains under Chapter 11 protection.  Spirit was able to survive based on the assumption that jet fuel prices would remain stable and that it would be able to maintain its passenger capacity at 80 percent. In December 2024, Spirit projected that it would make a net profit of $252 million in the next fiscal year, but in August 2025, the airline reported that it had actually lost a total of $257 million between just March 13 and the end of June. The company had emerged from its first bankruptcy filing on that March 13 date and made its second Chapter 11 filing shortly before reporting its nearly $260 million loss.  At the moment, the carrier says it is operating normally, continuing to serve passengers and operating its flights. Although there is an imminent risk of the company being dissolved, no specific date has been shared, leaving travelers in limbo.  Passengers who have already booked tickets with the airline and are expecting to fly in the immediate future could be caught off guard with no way to get home.  Several low-cost airline executives are set to meet with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy next week The airline took a downturn following the Covid-19 Pandemic after a failed merger with JetBlue and customer habits changed the market Pictured: Spirit Airlines CEO Dave Davis, who has led the company since April 2025 In such a scenario, other airlines are prepared to offer 'rescue fares,' which are discounted one-way flights that allow passengers to get to their destination.  But there is no guarantee that everyone who booked a Spirit flight will be able to secure a rescue fare.  As a result, Spirit customers have been advised to be prepared with backup plans to get home in the coming days, just in case the airline suddenly stops operating.  But since the war with Iran, jet fuel prices have nearly doubled in large cities such as New York, Houston, Chicago and Los Angeles, and the airline operated at an average capacity closer to 74 percent in the last fiscal quarter.  JP Morgan released a note stating that if jet fuel remains at $4.60 this year, Spirit's forecast operating margin for the 2026 fiscal year would drop from negative 7 percent to negative 20 percent.  On top of that, the company's competitors have added flights going to Spirit destinations. JetBlue Airways and Frontier Airlines currently have a destination overlap with Spirit of 21 percent and 32 percent, respectively. In an announcement on Friday, Iran's foreign minister said 'the passage for all commercial vessels through Strait of Hormuz is declared completely open'. This immediately caused oil to become 10 per cent cheaper – its lowest price in over a month – and stock markets to surge. The shipping route, through which a fifth of the world's oil flows, has been closed for weeks which has effectively worsened the cost-of-living crisis. At the moment, the carrier says it is operating normally, continuing to serve passengers and operating its flights. Although there is an imminent risk of the company being dissolved, no specific date has been shared, leaving travelers in limbo Tehran said its decision to 'open' the Strait was linked to a ceasefire announced in Lebanon, where Israel had been bombing Iran's proxy terror group Hezbollah. President Donald Trump claimed Iran 'has agreed to never close the Strait of Hormuz again', but said the US would continue its own naval blockade 'until such time as our transaction with Iran is 100 per cent complete.' He added this would happen 'pretty soon' as 'the war in Iran is going along swimmingly'. But sources in Tehran warned it would be a dealbreaker if the US continued to block marine traffic. It came as 49 leaders held a summit in Paris to discuss how to re-open the strait. As the US-Iran ceasefire continued to hold, Washington officials said they were negotiating a three-page plan to end the war. This could involve Iranians surrendering their enriched uranium in exchange for $20 billion of funds being unfrozen, it was reported. But Trump has claimed that 'no money will exchange hands in any way.' The Daily Mail contacted the White House and Spirit Airlines for comment.   The comments below have not been moderated. 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