The Fall of Spirit Airlines: A Complete Timeline

Spirit Airlines, once among the most profitable carriers in the U.S., has become a case study in how quickly an airline can unravel — two bankruptcies, thousands of furloughs, and multiple failed merger attempts in under four years.

The Trump administration is now in advanced discussions to bail out the carrier, including a loan of up to $500 million and a potential government equity stake.

Here’s a timeline of how Spirit got here.

October 2021: Spirit’s Setbacks in Its Pandemic Recovery

Skift reported that the surge in Covid-19 cases and a series of staffing-related operational issues in August forced Spirit to scale back its recovery plans, including reclassifying 2022 as yet another “recovery” year.

Spirit reported a loss of $75 million, excluding the benefit of federal aid, in the third quarter.

February 2022: Frontier Airlines Seeks to Buy Spirit

Frontier Airlines and Spirit Airlines unveiled plans to merge in a de