Spirit airlines has announced that it will terminate 11 routes in October after filing for bankruptcy again this year.
The reasoning behind this decision is to "streamline operations in an effort to recover from its financial challenges and strengthen core operations" according to The Sun .
Starting Oct. 2, the following routes will no longer be available:
-
Albuquerque International Sunport (ABQ) in New Mexico
-
Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport (BHM) in Alabama
-
Boise Airport (BOI) in Idaho
-
Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport (CHA) in Tennessee
-
Columbia Metropolitan Airport (CAE) in South Carolina
-
Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport (OAK)
-
Portland International Airport (PDX) in Oregon
-
Sacramento International Airport (SMF)
-
Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC)
-
San Diego International Airport (SAN)
-
San Jose Mineta International Airport (SJC) in California
Spirit Airlines also said that it will not be moving forward with plans to launch service at Middle Georgia Regional Airport in Macon, Georgia. This project was supposed to begin Oct. 16, according to USA Today .
"We apologize to our guests for any inconvenience this may cause and will reach out to those with affected reservations to notify them of their options, including a refund," the airline said in a written statement to USA Today. "We are grateful to the airports, business partners and community members in these markets who welcomed and supported us."
Spirit Airlines did not immediately respond to MassLive's request for comment.
The news comes after Spirit Airlines revealed in an Aug. 11 report that it's struggling to turn a profit due to a low demand for leisure travel and fierce market competition.
"As a result, the Company continues to experience challenges and uncertainties in its business operations and expects these trends to continue for at least the remainder of 2025," the report reads.
Spirit Airlines has already taken measures to address these issues by working on network and product enhancements while placing pilots on unpaid temporary leave. The airline might also sell off some aircrafts, real estate and airport gates. However, these initiatives may not be enough to meet the minimum cash-on-hand requirements put in place as part of the end of Spirit Airlines' bankruptcy.
"While it is the Company's goal to execute on these initiatives, there can be no assurance that such initiatives will be successful," Spirit wrote in the report.
The quarterly report also noted an estimated $261 million decrease in operating revenues for the second quarter of 2025, as compared to the same period in 2024.
Operating expenses also went down during that time period, primarily due to lower fuel costs and fewer flights, but only by about $230 million. The company's financial results still fell short.
Spirit's struggles have been ongoing for years. In November 2024, Spirit Airlines filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy noting financial struggles partially driven by lower operating revenue and higher operating expenses.
As part of the bankruptcy agreement, the company's bondholders committed $350 million in equity investment and $300 million in debtor-in-possession financing to keep the airline afloat during the restructuring.
The company's struggles, which have only increased in recent years, started several years ago shortly after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Spirit has not reported an annual profit since 2019, and it has lost more than $2 billion since 2020, according to the Times .
The company took another hit after a federal judge barred a planned merger with JetBlue Airways earlier in 2024.
The judge banned the merger in January 2024, arguing it would reduce competition in the airline business and that smaller, inexpensive airlines such as Spirit would hurt consumers seeking reduced fares, the Times reported .
JetBlue and Spirit believed the merger would have been worth pursuing as "it would have unleashed a national low-fare, high-value competitor," JetBlue CEO Joanna Geraghty said in a March release .
Instead, it ended with JetBlue paying the company $69 million and cutting all ties to the transaction.
More Business News
-
Network of Dunkin' franchises to lay off 74 and close Mass. facility
-
Crash risk linked to driving power prompts recall of 91,000 vehicles
-
Senior living company to close Boston-area offices, lay off 179
-
Recall alert: Baby product sold on Amazon could be deadly; stop using ASAP
Read the original article on MassLive .
