Cost pressures: Spirit Airlines jets at the Las Vegas International Airport in Nevada. A sluggish return of business travellers after the pandemic also hurt as it sent carriers chasing vacationers, causing a glut of seats in markets such as Florida and Las Vegas. — Reuters
CHICAGO: Spirit Airlines was expected to be one of the big travel industry winners after the pandemic. But the no-frills pioneer never found its wings in a changed business and operating landscape.
On Monday, the Florida-based carrier filed for bankruptcy protection. While speculation about Spirit’s future began swirling immediately after a federal judge blocked its US$3.8-bil merger deal with JetBlue Airways in January, analysts said its Chapter 11 filing was longer in the making.
