Multiple airlines said on Friday they are prepared to assist Spirit Airlines customers in case the budget carrier shuts down, which is expected at the moment.
Spirit is set to cease operations at 3 a.m. Saturday if no deal to save its business is reached with the Trump administration by then.
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Airlines for America, a trade group representing the aviation industry, led the charge.
“In the event of any disruption, A4A carriers stand ready to assist customers and employees who may be impacted by Spirit Airlines,” the group posted on X.
Individual airlines followed suit, indicating they’re willing to take action if Spirit shuts down.
United Airlines and Frontier Airlines said they are ready to support Spirit customers. American Airlines took its statement one step further, specifying that it “immediately implemented fare caps on Main Cabin tickets for Spirit routes where we also offer nonstop service and will continue to support as many customers as possible.”
Speaking with reporters on Friday, President Donald Trump said the White House is looking to bail out the struggling low-cost airline and suggested an announcement would come before the weekend. As of late Friday afternoon, no such announcement has been made yet.
“If we can help them, we will,” Trump said before departing Washington, D.C., for Florida. “But we have to come first. We’re first.”
Reports of a possible $500 million loan from the federal government surfaced in recent weeks. The airline has also reportedly discussed the possibility of letting the government take a 90% stake in the company. It appears those talks have failed as Spirit’s shutdown deadline looms.
In response to a request for comment from the Washington Examiner earlier Friday, a spokesperson for Spirit declined to comment on discussions but noted the airline is “operating as usual” for now.
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The carrier filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy twice, once in November 2024 and again in August 2025.
Spirit has been in dire financial straits ever since a federal judge blocked its proposed $3.8 billion merger with JetBlue Airways on antitrust grounds in March 2024. At the time, the Biden administration argued the deal would have further raised ticket prices.
