R.I.P Spirit Airlines

The highlighter in the sky is grounded indefinitely. Spirit Airlines, the budget-friendly airline, is officially no more.

After years of financial issues, Spirit Airlines ceased all operations this weekend. The airline collapsed after filing for bankruptcy, a blocked merger attempt and even a failed government bailout.

Spirit had been struggling for years. JetBlue proposed an acquisition in 2022, but the Biden administration clocked the merger claiming it would eliminate a key source of low-cost competition. This led to Spirit filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in November 2024.

After Spirits announcement over the weekend, the blame is now shifting to the current administration. With the US-Israeli war, many are blaming surging fuel prices being the final straw that broke the yellow camel’s back.

At the end of the day, Spirit Airlines had lost more than $2.5 billion since 2020. Despite efforts from JetBlue, the government, and even a viral fundraiser, nothing could save America’s favorite budget airline.

Hammer and Nigel reflect on how they’ll miss not just the low fares, but also the viral moments that came from Spirit’s uniquely diverse customer base over the years. Listen to their tribute here: