Sean Duffy blames Biden for Spirit Airlines’ fall as Trump admin steps in to help stranded flyers

WASHINGTON, DC: Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy pointed the finger at former President Joe Biden for Spirit Airlines’ sudden shutdown, which left a score of flyers stranded in the middle of the night. 

The ultralow-cost airline that operated hundreds of daily flights on its bright yellow planes for nearly 34 years and employed about 17,000 people announced on Saturday, May 02, that it had "started an orderly wind-down of our operations, effective immediately."

The airline stated on its website that all flights had been canceled and customer service had been shut down. 

Passengers arriving on Saturday were shocked to discover their flights had been axed, while employees learned overnight that they were suddenly out of work.

Duffy blames Biden’s “radical policies” for Spirit’s shutdown

Hours after Spirit announced the shutdown, Duffy blamed the airline's downfall on the Justice Department's decision, stating that “Yet another mess the traveling public has to inherit thanks to the radical policies of Joe Biden and Pete Buttigieg.”

“In blocking the JetBlue/Spirit merger in 2024, they turned their backs on the American consumer and our great aviation workforce,” his statement continued.

Spirit Airlines had struggled to churn a profit since the pandemic, losing over $2.5 billion from 2020 to 2024. They reported a negative free cash flow of $1 billion at the end of the second quarter in 2025.  

To secure the ultralow-cost airline, it reached a merger agreement with JetBlue in 2024 valued at $3.8 billion, but the Justice Department blocked the deal.

The department sued to stop the merger, arguing that it would reduce competition and drive up fares. Spirit then filed for bankruptcy again in August 2025.

In the statement, Duffy added that the Trump administration has stepped in to assist stranded passengers. “Regardless of how we got here, the Trump Administration is committed to taking care of you and your family when you fly,”

“In a matter of hours, we’ve activated our airline partners to ensure passengers are not stranded, communities maintain route access, fares do not skyrocket, and Spirit’s workforce is connected to new job opportunities,” he continued.

Duffy went on to confirm that United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, JetBlue, and Southwest Airlines are offering $200 one-way fares for passengers with Spirit booking confirmations and proof of purchase for a limited time.

Other airlines would also help Spirit employees who might be stranded, as well as offering them a preferential application process as they look for work.

Spirit Airlines CEO says rising fuel prices led to company’s disband

The Trump administration had weighed a government bailout to keep the struggling airline afloat, but negotiations ultimately fell through.

Addressing the possibility, Sean Duffy remarked Saturday that “we often don’t have half a billion dollars just sitting around.”

The idea was floated by President Donald Trump after the airlines filed their second bankruptcy in two years. However, the talks fell apart when creditors, including Ken Griffin’s Citadel LLC, Ares Management Corp, and Cyrus Capital, opposed a government plan to take 90 per cent of the company in exchange for a $500m bailout, reported CBS News.

Dave Davis, Spirit's President and Chief Executive Officer, also confirmed that the agreement was reached in March but the surge in fuel prices led company to wrap up the business.

He said the "sudden and sustained rise in fuel prices in recent weeks ultimately has left us with no alternative but to pursue an orderly wind-down of the Company."

"Sustaining the business required hundreds of millions of additional dollars of liquidity that Spirit simply does not have and could not procure," he added, according to CNBC. "This is tremendously disappointing and not the outcome any of us wanted."