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Spirit Airlines files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy again but continues operations

Spirit Airlines files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy again but continues operations
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Dave Davis, Spirit’s President and Chief Executive Officer | Spirit Airlines

Spirit Airlines has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy restructuring for the second time in less than a year. The budget airline, based in Dania Beach, Florida, announced on Friday that it will continue operating flights and that customers can still use all tickets, credits, and loyalty points. Other passenger benefits such as Savers Club memberships and credit card perks will also remain available.

"It has become clear that there is much more work to be done and many more tools are available to best position Spirit for the future," said Dave Davis, president and CEO of Spirit. "After thoroughly evaluating our options and considering recent events and the market pressures facing our industry, our Board of Directors decided that a court-supervised process is the best path forward to make the changes needed to ensure our long-term success."

Spirit reported a loss of $186 million between mid-March—when it exited its previous bankruptcy—and the end of June. This period typically sees high demand due to spring break travel. Earlier this month, Spirit warned investors about doubts regarding its ability to continue operating over the next year.

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Davis stated that this restructuring would be comprehensive, compared with last November’s filing which focused mainly on debt issues.

The company plans to redesign its route map around key cities, reduce its fleet size, and cut costs as part of the restructuring process. According to aviation analytics firm Cirium, Spirit's top five destinations by flight volume in the third quarter are Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL), Orlando International Airport (MCO), Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) in Las Vegas, Detroit Wayne County Metropolitan Airport (DTW), and Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR). Cirium data also shows that Spirit’s schedule for July through September is more than 25% smaller compared with the same period last year.

At the end of June, Spirit operated 215 Airbus A320-family aircraft.

Other airlines have begun expanding into markets where Spirit operates. Frontier Airlines recently announced 20 new routes overlapping with some of Spirit’s destinations. Industry analysts suggest carriers like JetBlue Airways, Sun Country Airlines, and United Airlines may seek access to gates or facilities at airports such as FLL and DTW if Spirit downsizes or exits those locations.

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