Trump suggest rescue deal for Spirit Airlines to | Travel News

Spirit Airlines might be on the verge of receiving essential help from the Trump administration because it battles to keep away from shutting down following its chapter struggles.

Reports emerged final week that Spirit Airlines was at risk of imminent closure, with sources telling Bloomberg that a willpower on the provider’s destiny might arrive within days.

The well-known funds airline entered Chapter 11 chapter safety for the second time in much less than a 12 months this previous August 2025, and escalating jet fuel prices pushed by the Iran battle have compounded its challenges to exit chapter by late spring or early summer season. Now, President Donald Trump seems poised to intervene with an uncommon rescue bundle.

“I’d love somebody to buy Spirit Airlines,” Trump mentioned to CNBC’s Squawk Box on Tuesday. “Maybe the federal government should help that one out. I told my people.”

Before Trump publicly floated the thought of federal help for Spirit Airlines on Tuesday, the airline had already approached the Trump administration in search of help, in accordance to sources accustomed to the state of affairs who spoke with The Air Current. The funds provider is reportedly in search of emergency funding within the lots of of hundreds of thousands of {dollars} to keep operational as fuel prices proceed to climb.

The aviation sector has faced significant obstacles due to complications arising from the Iran conflict, as the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil shipping corridor, has been substantially restricted. Jet fuel costs have approximately doubled across the U.S. since hostilities commenced, climbing from $2.50 per gallon on Feb. 27 to $4.88 per gallon on April 2, based on Airlines for America statistics.

Jet fuel pricing continues to fluctuate, moderating somewhat to $3.99 per gallon on Tuesday. Virtually every major carrier, including American, United, Delta, Southwest, and JetBlue, has increased checked baggage charges to counterbalance rising fuel expenses. Carriers have also been compelled to evaluate reducing flight schedules, given that fuel represents their largest operational cost after personnel.

Such targeted support for an individual air carrier would represent an unusual step by the Trump administration, though discussions regarding a potential agreement appear to be progressing. A recent example of government assistance for the U.S. airline sector happened during the COVID-19 crisis, when the struggling industry received $50 billion in taxpayer support, though the funding wasn’t directed toward any particular airline.

On Wednesday, NBC News disclosed that the Trump administration has progressed negotiations for a financial support package for Spirit Airlines. Although a bailout agreement hasn’t been finalized, sources familiar with the matter informed the outlet that the arrangement would provide $500 million to the ultra-low-cost carrier.

The proposed agreement would provide additional liquidity designed to enable the airline to exit bankruptcy as a viable, properly capitalized carrier. The source noted, however, that the U.S. government might end up holding approximately 90% ownership of the airline following its emergence from bankruptcy.

“The Trump administration continues to monitor the state of affairs and total health of the U.S. aviation industry that hundreds of thousands of Americans depend on on daily basis for important journey and their livelihoods,” White House spokesman Kush Desai told NBC News in a statement.

Following Trump’s Tuesday interview, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned that a rescue deal for Spirit would possibly be using “good money after unhealthy.

“There’s been a lot of money thrown at Spirit, and they haven’t found their way into profitability,” Duffy mentioned in an interview with Reuters. “And so would we just forestall the inevitable and then own that?”

Duffy added: “If no one else wants to buy them, why would we buy them?”