UPDATE: EXPECTED TO SHUT DOWN AT 3 A.M. SATURDAY…
UPDATE at 5:11 p.m: No official word from Spirit but The Wall Street Journal is now reporting that Spirit is expected to cease operations at 3 a.m. on Saturday.
BOCA RATON, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) (Copyright © 2026 MetroDesk Media, LLC) — Bloomberg is reporting Friday afternoon that Broward-based Spirit Airlines is preparing to shut down. Talks with the federal government about a bailout/takeover have apparently failed. The airline, which has has been stuck in or near an altitude of Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for much of the past several years, apparently can’t absorb the rising fuel costs due to the war in Iran.
If you have a ticket on Spirit Airlines, BocaNewsNow.com strongly suggests that you take the following action: first, if you absolutely have to be wherever you were planning to fly, find another airline and — if you can — book a refundable ticket. On the off chance that Spirit survives, you’ll get a refund from your backup. If Spirit in fact fails, you’ll still be able to get where you’re going.
If you paid for your Spirit ticket with a credit card, you should be fine. If Spirit does in fact cease operations, you may need to file a “dispute” or “charge back” with your credit card company. This is easily done online. The credit card company will then issue a temporary credit to you while it confirms that your flight never happened. The credit card company becomes the creditor — not you.
If you paid with cash or a check, good luck. You may find yourself on a long list of people who want refunds, only to find out there isn’t enough cash left from the airline to pay you back.
Spirt Airlines does continue to fly as of Friday afternoon, but much like your great grandparent on oxygen and with lots of tubes in a hospital bed, the end is likely near. The closure would affect roughly 14,000 employees company-wide.
