Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced a number of relief measures for Spirit Airlines customers and employees on Saturday.
The four major U.S. airlines — United, Delta, JetBlue and Southwest — are “all capping ticket prices specifically for Spirit customers who now have to rebook canceled flights,” Duffy said in an article published Saturday on
“I would recommend that if you have a ticket in mind and you try to book with these airlines as early as possible, these deals will not be open forever,” he said.
The press conference followed Spirit’s statement Saturday morning that the company would be stop operations.
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Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy during a press conference at Terminal A at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) in Newark, New Jersey, Saturday, May 2, 2026. (Adam Gray/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)
Additional relief measures for customers and former Spirit employees will also be implemented, including a pathway to allow preferential job interviews at other airlines, Duffy wrote.
“There is a demand for aviation workers. So even American and United have written or created microsites for Spirit employees to potentially skip the line and receive preferential treatment in the application process. For the many airlines currently hiring, whether pilots, flight attendants, baggage handlers, or even those who have worked in call centers, you can check out the individual websites to see what is offered by each of the airlines,” Duffy said.
Teleprinter Security Last Change Change % UAL UNITED AIRLINES HOLDINGS INC. 92.52 +2.52 +2.80% JBLU JETBLUE AIRWAYS CORP. 4.86 +0.20 +4.40% FLYYQ SPIRIT AVIATION HOLDINGS INC. 1,045 -0.35 -25.36% DAL DELTA AIRLINES INC. 68.98 +0.99 +1.46% LUV SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO. 38.76 +0.84 +2.22% ALGT ALLEGIANT TRAVEL CO. 75.02 -0.62 -0.82% Spirit Airlines announced it was ceasing operations early Saturday morning.
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“This morning at 3 a.m., Spirit Airlines ceased operations. So that means Spirit has no planes in the air as of this morning. Also, their call centers are closed and they don’t have ticket counters staffed. So if you have a flight scheduled with Spirit Airlines, don’t show up at the airport. There won’t be anyone here to help you,” Duffy said.
Duffy also criticized Democrats, particularly the Biden administration, for what he said was their role in overturning the FY.Spirit-JetBlue merger in trouble.
“Why are we here today?” » asked Duffy. “There was a proposed merger between JetBlue and Spirit, and Joe Biden and [Biden Transportation Secretary] Pete Buttigieg, along with Biden’s DOJ, decided they did not want this merger to happen. »
A Spirit Airlines aircraft undergoes operations in preparation for departure at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport February 12, 2024, in Austin, Texas. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images/Getty Images)
“And at the time, the Biden and Buttigieg Justice Departments bragged and said, in undoing this merger option, that this was a victory for American travelers who deserved lower prices and better choices,” Duffy continued.
“This merger should have been allowed to go ahead. And this today would indicate that it’s not better for travelers. It’s not better for prices. It’s not better for competition. In fact. It’s worse. We had a bankrupt airline because the markets were trying to allow two airlines to merge, make them stronger and provide more competition for the American consumer,” he said.
Duffy also blamed Senator Elizabeth WarrenD-Mass., for defending the blocking of the merger.
“Elizabeth Warren presided over the blocking of the merger at the time, saying…it was a Biden victory for travelers. Again, I think it’s important that we always look with a keen eye when airlines want to merge. We care about prices for consumers,” Duffy said.
Additional relief measures announced by Duffy included reduced fares from American and Delta on high-volume Spirit routes and freezing prices on routes they shared with Spirit. Allegiant Air, a low-cost airline offering prices similar to Spirit, will offer 50 percent discounts on its base fares through May 10, Duffy said.
Duffy revealed that the Trump administration is exploring all options to bail out Spirit.
President Biden and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg during an event at the White House in Washington, DC, Monday, November 27, 2023. (Michael Reynolds/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)
“A number of ideas were put forward about how the government could step in and help Spirit Airlines. The president was like a dog on a bone trying to find a way to keep Spirit afloat,” Duffy recalled.
“Ultimately it was a creditors issue. Again, they have the final say on whether they want to make a deal with the government, but also, from the government’s point of view, we often don’t have half a billion dollars in an account available that we can put into an airline bailout. So there was some creative thinking about how that could happen, those two things never came to fruition.”
Duffy also downplayed broader risks to the budget airline sector, rejecting the idea that the ongoing war in Iran played a role in Spirit’s downfall.
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“Spirit was in dire straits long before the war with Iran. They had filed for bankruptcy several times. Their model wasn’t working. They couldn’t get to financial health. So that wasn’t the impetus. The war wasn’t the impetus for Spirit,” he said.
He referred to a recent request other low-cost airlines for $2.5 billion, but said it was not necessary.
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“You’ve heard that other airlines have talked about asking for a $2.5 billion bailout. I’m in constant contact, and my team is in contact with all the airline CEOs. I would say at this point, I don’t think it’s necessary. They have access to liquidity. If they want to go to the U.S. government, we would be a lender of last resort. If they can find dollars in the private markets, I think that’s better for them,” said Duffy.
This is a developing story. Please check again for updates.
