How Antitrust Populists Drove Spirit Airlines Out Of Business

How Antitrust Populists Drove Spirit Airlines Out Of Business

By Connor O'Keeffe, Mises Wire | May 06, 2026 On Saturday, Spirit Airlines officially shut down all operations.The announcement came after negotiations for a nine-figure government bailout fell through. The budget airline was unable to continue business with the soaring price of jet fuel that has resulted from Trump’s war on Iran. But that was merely an accelerant. Spirit’s financial trouble goes back to the covid years. All airlines were hit ha…