Spirit Airlines officially shut down operations on Saturday, May 2, 2026, marking the end of the budget carrier after 34 years in business. The closure comes after a proposed $500 million bailout fell through and the company entered its second bankruptcy — a setback Spirit ultimately couldn’t recover from.

<p>Spirit Airlines officially shut down operations on Saturday, May 2, 2026, marking the end of the budget carrier after 34 years in business. The closure comes after a proposed $500 million bailout fell through and the company entered its second bankruptcy &mdash; a setback Spirit ultimately couldn&rsquo;t recover from.</p>