Joel Rose
👤 SpeakerAppearances Over Time
Podcast Appearances
You're welcome.
Spirit Airlines faced mounting financial pressure because of the war in Iran, which sent the price of jet fuel soaring.
But its problems ran much deeper than that.
Spirit was a pioneer among ultra-low-cost carriers, keeping its fares down by stripping away amenities the travelers had previously taken for granted and then charging extra for them.
But the airline faced increased competition from its larger rivals, which adopted their own basic economy fares.
The Florida-based airline has filed for bankruptcy twice since 2024.
Spirit has been seeking a $500 million federal bailout, but those talks failed to yield a deal, leaving the airline no choice but to stop flying and prepare to liquidate its assets.
Joel Rose, NPR News, Washington.
Spirit Airlines faced mounting financial pressure because of the war in Iran, which sent the price of jet fuel soaring.
But its problems ran much deeper than that.
Spirit was a pioneer among ultra-low-cost carriers, keeping its fares down by stripping away amenities the travelers had previously taken for granted and then charging extra for them.
But the airline faced increased competition from its larger rivals, which adopted their own basic economy fares.
The Florida-based airline has filed for bankruptcy twice since 2024.
Spirit has been seeking a $500 million federal bailout, but those talks failed to yield a deal, leaving the airline no choice but to stop flying and prepare to liquidate its assets.
Joel Rose, NPR News, Washington.
German carrier Lufthansa said this week it would cut 20,000 flights from its schedule through the fall to save on jet fuel.
KLM and Scandinavian Airlines have also trimmed their schedules.
Energy experts warned that a prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway off Iran's coast, would lead to higher prices for jet fuel and even possible shortages in Europe ahead of the peak summer travel season.
A firefighter whose truck collided with an Air Canada jet on a runway at New York's LaGuardia Airport told investigators he heard an air traffic controller repeatedly saying, But the firefighter said he didn't know that those instructions were intended for his truck until it was already on the runway.