Spirit Airlines has entered into bankruptcy for the second time in under a year.
The second and most recent filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy occurred on Friday, Aug. 29, 2025, and the first occurred in November of 2024. Spirit had emerged from its first bankruptcy in March of this year, but it has continued to face financial struggles.
Spirit Airlines’ Chapter 11 filing means the airline plans to restructure rather than liquidate. It will remain operational during the bankruptcy process, just as the airline did during the earlier bankruptcy that took place in November.
Since the airline will continue to operate flights, this means most people who had a trip booked with Spirit will be able to fly as planned.
However, Spirit Airlines obviously needs to make some changes during the bankruptcy restructuring process. After all, if it could continue to operate as it is, then it wouldn’t have filed for bankruptcy in the first place.
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Spirit Airlines still operating, but canceling flights to 11 destinations
One of the biggest changes that will affect passengers is the fact that Spirit Airlines plans to cancel a number of flights. The airline revealed after its bankruptcy filing that it would suspend flights serving the following destinations:
- Albuquerque, New Mexico (ABQ)
- Birmingham, Alabama (BHM)
- Boise, Idaho (BOI)
- Chattanooga, Tennessee (CHA)
- Columbia, South Carolina (CAE)
- Oakland, California (OAK)
- Portland, Oregon (PDX)
- Sacramento, California (SMF)
- Salt Lake City, Utah (SLC)
- San Diego, California (SAN)
- San Jose, California (SJC)
Spirit Airlines will discontinue the routes to these destinations on October 2, 2025. The airline is also abandoning plans to begin serving Middle Georgia Regional Airport; those flights had been scheduled to begin on October 2, 2025.
Spirit Airlines apologizes for the cancellations
Passengers booked on an affected Spirit Flight received less than a month’s notice – and now they are just discovering that their flight may be canceled.
Spirit Airlines is aware that the flight cuts will annoy customers.
Here’s what it said about the cancellations:
“We apologize to our guests for any inconvenience this may cause and will reach out to those with affected reservations to notify them of their options…” the airline said in a written statement. “We are grateful to the airports, business partners and community members in these markets who welcomed and supported us.”
Spirit Airlines will not cancel all flights to all destinations
While Spirit Airlines will cancel these flights effective October, this does not mean the airline plans to discontinue operations entirely. It will still offer flights to other destinations.
As of the end of November 2024, Spirit was the seventh-largest U.S. carrier and accounted for 3% of short-haul flights in the United States, according to Simple Flying. It served 85 airports at the time, but was already planning on making big cuts.
Canceling flights to 11 airports is obviously a big deal, but the airline will have plenty of remaining trips to offer passengers – some of which are hopefully more profitable than the ones on the chopping block.
Customers will be entitled to refunds from Spirit Airlines
Although customers on a canceled Spirit flight may be disappointed with this outcome, they won’t be left entirely in the lurch.
Spirit made clear that it would reach out to affected travelers to offer options such as refunds, which many customers are likely to request.
They may soon have some new choices, as United Airlines is swooping into many places Spirit is pulling out of and is adding more flights. Patrick Quayle, United’s senior vice president of global network planning and alliances, also said in a news release:
“If Spirit suddenly goes out of business, it will be incredibly disruptive, so we’re adding these flights to give their customers other options if they want or need them.”
Travelers whose flights are canceled can check to see if there is a different solution through United Airlines or other carrier to get to their final destination.
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