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Buttigieg, Duffy Spar over Who's to Blame for Spirit Airlines Collapse
The dispute centers on whether the blocked JetBlue merger or fuel costs did more to push Spirit into bankruptcy and shutdown, officials said.
- On Saturday, May 2, 2026, Spirit Airlines ceased operations, leaving about 17,000 employees without jobs and thousands of travelers stranded after failing to emerge from bankruptcy.
- Rising jet fuel prices to around $4.50 per gallon prompted the collapse, as war involving Israel and Iran undermined Spirit's restructuring plan and made continued operations untenable.
- Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy blamed Biden for blocking the $3.8 billion JetBlue merger on Monday, claiming it would have prevented collapse; Pete Buttigieg countered that the shutdown happened on "Trump's watch."
- Neera Tanden questioned whether blocking the merger was the "right call," later writing that "Lord, of course Trump's war was the Spirit Airlines killer here." Delta and United Airlines are offering rescue flights through May 6.
- The Justice Department previously blocked the merger under Attorney General Merrick Garland, arguing it would reduce competition and raise fares; Spirit's demise illustrates how energy market volatility impacts aviation.
10 Articles
10 Articles
Spirit Airlines Shutdown Has Nothing to Do With Biden? Source Claims Geopolitical Events Started by Trump is to Blame
Spirit Airlines officially ceased operations on 2 May, prompting questions about what ultimately pushed the carrier over the edge. Trump officials have blamed Joe Biden's administration for the collapse, pointing to the blocked JetBlue merger as the decisive moment. But recent court filings and industry reports highlight a different factor, citing jet fuel prices driven higher by the Iran war and other 'recent geopolitical events' as key reasons…
Buttigieg, Duffy spar over who's to blame for Spirit Airlines collapse
Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on Monday pushed back on his successor, Sean Duffy, for blaming the Biden administration for Spirit Airlines shutting down all operations. Duffy said Monday on Fox News’s “Fox and Friends” that Buttigieg “made the wrong call” in supporting the former administration’s push to block the acquisition of Spirit by JetBlue...
Duffy says Biden admin’s ‘wrong decision’ doomed Spirit Airlines, left 17,000 workers jobless
Spirit Airlines collapsed after halting all flights, and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy blames a blocked Biden-era merger, saying officials made "the wrong decision."
DOT Secretary Duffy blames Biden admin, Pete Buttigieg for Spirit Airlines’ failure
"Spirit tried to merge with JetBlue. The Joe Biden-Pete Buttigieg administration and DOJ tanked that deal," Duffy told ABC's "This Week" on Sunday. "Immediately after that, they filed for bankruptcy."
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