FORT LAUDERDALE-HOLLYWOOD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, FLA. (WSVN) - Spirit Airlines’ hopes to stay in the skies could be grounded for good.
According to the Wall Street Journal, while hopes were high for a government save, it appears Spirit will be shut down after a last ditch rescue deal to save the airline crumbled. That could happen as soon as Saturday.
The Dania Beach-based carrier has been in Chapter 11 bankruptcy and struggling for over a year now. The recent hike in jet fuel prices placed even more stress on the airline, pushing it to reduce its fleet and cut its routes.
The airline had attempted to secure a $500 million government bailout to survive bankruptcy, adding that the government would’ve been given as much as a 90% stake in the company, but the proposed deal fell apart due to disagreements with the Trump administration and pushback from other creditors.
However, while speaking to reporters at the White House on Friday, President Trump suggested he remained open to a taxpayer-funded deal to bail out the airline.
“I said, ‘I’d like to save the jobs, but we will have an announcement some time today. We gave them a final proposal,” said Trump.
At Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, Spirit is operating as usual, but with the last-ditch rescue deal now appearing to be off the table, many passengers are left confused and worried for the future.
“What’s going to happen when we come back?” asked a woman.
“Oh, we’re going to be stuck,” said a man.
“What’s going to happen? No flights? I don’t know. It’s insane.
“I’m actually shocked at this point, I don’t know what to do at this point,” said George.
When one passenger was asked if it had been a frustrating day, they said “Yes, of course.”
One traveler who was flying to Charlotte said he flies there frequently and is not looking forward to paying premium prices.
By late Friday night, dozens of passengers had their flight cancelled and were wondering what to do next. Others learned for the first time that the airline’s days are numbered.
“I’ve never had a bad experience until now. This was my worst experience with flying ever,” said passenger Danah Ibrahim.
A company spokesperson has declined to comment on the situation.
The airline employs nearly 20,000 people as well as thousands of contractors, with nearly half of them in South Florida.
With cash nearly gone and no funding, the company is expected to shut down operations on Saturday morning.
And for many customers, that might mean not getting refunds.
“They’re gonna be focused on their creditors, trying to get back as much money as they can there. consumers unfortunately fall towards the bottom end of the priority chain in a liquidation event,” said Nick Ewin, Senior Editorial Director at The Points Guy.
Numerous other airlines like American, United and Jet Blue have all said in their own respective statements that they plan to help stranded passengers in the event Spirit does shut down such as by offering fare caps and special routes to get those travelers back home.
But as Friday night set across South Florida airports, many travelers wondered if those yellow planes will still be flying on Saturday.
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