Fox Information correspondent Madison Scarpino experiences on Spirit Airways shutting down, canceling all flights, inflicting vacationers to rebook with different airways, on ‘Fox Report.’
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., is underneath hearth after Spirit Airways abruptly shut down, with critics citing her declare that blocking a merger that might have saved the troubled service was “a Biden win for flyers.”
Spirit introduced early Saturday it could stop operations instantly, canceling all flights and shutting down customer support, leaving many vacationers stranded. The collapse is reigniting debate over whether or not federal regulators bought it flawed in blocking a proposed JetBlue-Spirit merger, with opponents now arguing the choice might have decreased competitors and contributed to the airline’s downfall.
“I’ve warned for months {that a} @JetBlue-@SpiritAirlines merger would have led to fewer flights and better fares,” Warren wrote in a March 2024 submit on X. “@JusticeATR and @USDOT had been proper to face up for customers and combat towards runaway airline consolidation. It is a Biden win for flyers!”
TRUMP TRANSPORTATION SEC DUFFY ANNOUNCES RELIEF FOR SPIRIT AIRLINES FLYERS, EMPLOYEES
Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat from Massachusetts, throughout a Senate Armed Providers Committee listening to in Washington, DC, US, on Thursday, April 30, 2026. Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth’s second day of testimony earlier than Congress supplied Democrats (Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg through Getty Photos / Getty Photos)
Biden administration officers made comparable arguments on the time. Former Lawyer Common Merrick Garland mentioned in a March 2024 assertion: “The Justice Division proved in court docket {that a} merger between JetBlue and Spirit would have brought on tens of tens of millions of vacationers to face increased fares and fewer decisions.” He added: “At the moment’s choice by JetBlue is yet one more victory for the Justice Division’s work on behalf of American customers.”
Then-Assistant Lawyer Common Jonathan Kanter additionally framed the ruling as a win for customers: “Our win in court docket is a victory for U.S. vacationers who deserve decrease costs and higher decisions.”
The U.S. Division of Transportation, led by former Secretary Pete Buttigieg, additionally backed the choice earlier within the course of. In a 2023 assertion, the company mentioned it “totally helps the Justice Division’s lawsuit… to dam the proposed JetBlue-Spirit merger,” arguing the deal would “eliminat[e] the biggest, most aggressive ultra-low-cost competitor” and “considerably reduc[e] competitors.”
SPIRIT AIRLINES TO CEASE OPERATIONS AFTER FEDERAL GOVERNMENT BAILOUT FAILS TO MATERIALIZE
Spirit Airways jets sat on the tarmac as the corporate ceased operations at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood Worldwide Airport in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Could 2, 2026. (GIORGIO VIERA / AFP through Getty Photos / Getty Photos)
Warren defended her place following Spirit’s collapse in a brand new submit on X.
“Spiking gasoline costs from Trump’s struggle was the nail within the coffin for twice-bankrupted Spirit airline,” she wrote. “FWIW, JetBlue merger failed as a result of a decide, appointed by Ronald Reagan, mentioned the deal was unlawful. Republicans are determined to shift blame from increased prices hitting households.”
Warren’s workplace pointed to rising gasoline prices as a key consider Spirit’s collapse in an e-mail to FOX Enterprise. Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum evaluation at GasBuddy, wrote on X that Spirit’s restructuring plan had assumed jet gasoline prices of about $2.24 per gallon in 2026, however costs had climbed to roughly $4.51 per gallon by the tip of April.
A neighborhood word on X, which is written by platform customers, pushed again on Warren’s claims.
“Senator Warren beforehand helped block the merger of JetBlue and Spirit which might have resulted in a fifth main airline and extra competitors towards main airways.”
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy criticized the sooner choice to dam the merger.
“This merger ought to have been allowed,” Duffy mentioned Saturday. “This isn’t higher for vacationers. This isn’t higher for pricing. This isn’t higher for competitors… It’s worse. We had an airline go down,” Duffy mentioned.
TRUMP SAYS HE WANTS ‘SOMEBODY’ TO BUY SPIRIT AIRLINES, OPPOSES UNITED-AMERICAN MERGER
Sean Duffy, US secretary of transportation, throughout a information convention in Terminal A at Newark Liberty Worldwide Airport (EWR) in Newark, New Jersey, US, on Saturday, Could 2, 2026. (Adam Grey/Bloomberg through Getty Photos / Getty Photos)
Spirit’s shutdown has left vacationers scrambling, with main airways capping fares and providing restricted aid choices for stranded passengers, whereas displaced employees are being directed to hiring pipelines at competing carriers, as beforehand reported by FOX Enterprise.
The Justice Division sued to dam the JetBlue-Spirit deal underneath antitrust regulation, arguing it could eradicate a key low-cost competitor and lift costs on overlapping routes. A federal decide finally agreed, blocking the merger after a multi-week trial.
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Spirit had struggled financially for years and had beforehand filed for chapter because it sought to stabilize its enterprise.
The Trump administration mentioned it explored choices to maintain Spirit afloat, however a proposed bailout didn’t materialize earlier than the airline shut down operations, as FOX Enterprise beforehand reported, leaving ongoing debate over whether or not earlier regulatory selections performed a task in its collapse.
Fox Information Digital’s Robert McGreevy, Sophia Compton, Michael Sinkewicz and FOX Enterprise’ Matthew Kazin contributed to this reporting.
