Spirit Airlines (NK, Fort Lauderdale International) suspended operations as of 0300 Eastern Time (0700Z) on May 2, 2026, according to a memo sent to Spirit's flight attendants by the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, seen by ch-aviation. The suspension of all flight operations has been confirmed by a statement from the airline.

Spirit Aviation Holdings said in its statement, dated May 2, that it "regretfully announced that the company has started an orderly wind-down of operations, effective immediately. All Spirit flights have been cancelled, and Spirit guests should not go to the airport."

The wind-down follows "the company's extensive and comprehensive efforts to restructure the business and pursue transactions to strengthen Spirit's financial position and create a sustainable path forward. Unfortunately, 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."

With no additional funding available, it added, it had no choice but to begin the wind-down process.

The United States government was reportedly close to disbursing up to USD500 million in the ailing carrier, which was under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. This could have saved it from collapse. However, it was reported at the end of April that these talks had hit an impasse.

"For more than 30 years, Spirit Airlines has played a pioneering role in making travel more accessible and bringing people together while driving affordability across the industry," Dave Davis, Spirit's president and chief executive, said in the statement.

"In March 2026, we reached an agreement with our bondholders on a restructuring plan that would have allowed us to emerge as a go-forward business. However, the sudden and sustained rise in fuel prices in recent weeks ultimately has left us with no alternative but to pursue an orderly wind-down of the company."

He added: "Sustaining the business required hundreds of millions of additional dollars of liquidity that Spirit simply does not have and could not procure. This is tremendously disappointing and not the outcome any of us wanted."

He thanked the US administration for their "extraordinary efforts to try to preserve jobs and service across the country," along with the US Department of Transportation for "their assistance to minimise the disruption to our guests in the days and weeks ahead."

Spirit Airlines said compensation for flights would be determined at a later date through a court-led bankruptcy process. It said it was unfortunately unable to reimburse affected passengers for costs such as replacement flights or emergency hotel stays. Its customer service is no longer available.

Flights cancelled

Two out of three red-eye flights scheduled to leave Las Vegas Harry Reid and four flights scheduled to leave from Los Angeles International before midnight Pacific Time have been cancelled, according to the Las Vegas and Los Angeles airport websites.

Flight NK615 from Las Vegas to Detroit Metropolitan shows as being delayed. Another flight from Guayaquil to Fort Lauderdale had not taken off as scheduled at 2359L (0459Z) in Ecuador. One out of two flights scheduled to leave San Juan Luis Muñoz Marin in the middle of the night has been cancelled.

The memo seen by ch-aviation stating that Spirit would permanently cease operations at 0300 Eastern Time on May 2, 2026, acknowledged the difficulty of the news and assured employees of union support and ongoing communication.

It explained that all flight attendants would be assisted in returning home and would receive updates regarding logistics, pay, and next steps, while management and the union worked to address questions and provide support. It also emphasised solidarity, appreciation for employees, and efforts to coordinate with other airlines to help affected staff.

According to ch-aviation data, Spirit Airlines operates a trimmed-down fleet of fifty-seven A320-200s, thirty-five A320-200Ns, twenty-nine A321-200, and twenty-seven A321-200NX aircraft. Ninety-one of these are leased, the rest owned.