Spirit Airlines shutdown, storms cause disruption at Hartsfield-Jackson

Storms across the U.S. and Spirit Airlines’ shutdown caused some disruptions Saturday at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

More than 100 flights into and out of the Atlanta airport were canceled for the day as of Saturday morning, according to data from FlightAware.com.

Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines, meanwhile, canceled more than 160 flights across its network, including about 6% of its scheduled flights into and out of Hartsfield-Jackson.

With Spirit’s shutdown, its full schedule of 25 flights in and out of Atlanta on Saturday was canceled, according to data from aviation analytics firm Cirium.

On social media, Hartsfield-Jackson urged Spirit customers not to come to the airport as all of the carrier’s flights had been canceled and no Spirit customer service representatives were on-site.

The low-cost carrier ended all operations early Saturday after being unable to secure a federal bailout. Spirit had struggled for years and a bid to merge with JetBlue was nixed during the Biden administration, which cited concerns the tie-up would reduce competition.

The airline represented a little more than 2.2% of Atlanta flights last year.

Spirit operated under a low-cost and narrow margin model. It was unable to emerge from a prolonged bankruptcy amid jet fuel costs that have soared since the start of the Iran war.

Spirit said on social media all flights and customer service operations had closed, and the company would not be able to assist passengers in rebooking travel, though it would refund customers for upcoming flights. More information is available at spiritrestructuring.com.

Carriers, including Delta, have offered temporary nonrefundable “rescue fares” at reduced rates to assist Spirit customers impacted by the airline’s end of service.

The airline, an impish upstart that shook the industry with its irreverent ads and deep discount fares, once operated hundreds of daily flights on its bright yellow planes and employed about 17,000 people.

“We are proud of the impact of our ultra-low-cost model on the industry over the last 34 years and had hoped to serve our guests for many years to come,” the Spirit announcement said.

The Trump administration had considered a government bailout for the cash-strapped business to keep it from going under, but a deal was not reached.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said that travelers booked on Spirit flights could access special prices on a group of other airlines for a limited time, and said other carriers would help Spirit pilots and flight attendants return to their home cities. In a statement, he said travelers could check with their credit card company or travel insurance policy about refunds.

President Donald Trump had floated the idea of a bailout last week after the airline found itself in bankruptcy proceedings for the second time in less than two years with jet fuel prices soaring because of the Iran war.

As late as Friday afternoon, Trump had said that “we’re looking at it” and had given the budget carrier a “final proposal” for a taxpayer-funded takeover.

Spirit has struggled financially since the COVID-19 pandemic, weighed down by rising operating costs and growing debt. By the time it filed for Chapter 11 protection in November 2024, Spirit had lost more than $2.5 billion since the start of 2020.

The budget carrier sought bankruptcy protection again in August 2025, when it reported having $8.1 billion in debts and $8.6 billion in assets, according to court filings.

The White House had blamed President Joe Biden’s administration for Spirit’s tenuous financial situation. Biden, a Democrat, opposed a proposed merger between Spirit and JetBlue in 2023. On Saturday, Trump administration officials took to social media to amplify voices of conservative critics who faulted Biden for Spirit’s demise.

Supporters of a rescue — including labor unions representing Spirit’s pilots, flight attendants and ramp workers — said a collapse would put thousands of Americans out of work and hurt consumers by reducing airline competition and increasing airfares. About 17,000 jobs could be impacted, according to Spirit lawyer Marshall Huebner.

Budget-conscious and leisure travelers would likely feel Spirit’s absence the most, especially in places where the airline has a big footprint such as Las Vegas and the Florida cities of Fort Lauderdale and Orlando.

The carrier flew about 1.7 million domestic passengers in February, roughly half a million fewer than during the same month a year earlier, according to Cirium. Spirit also has sharply reduced its capacity, with about half as many seats available this month than in May 2024.