Originally Posted by
LTJ9
Here is the DOT response when they were asked about it. Looks like it could be politically advantageous and save jobs, while helping preserve low fares.
“We're monitoring the situation surrounding Spirit.
As you know, Spirit's financial difficulties stretch back to its first bankruptcy in 2024 and the failures of the last administration.
When Joe Biden and Pete Buttigieg blocked a proposed Spirit/JetBlue merger in 2024, their DOJ bragged it was "a victory for U.S. travelers who deserve lower prices and better choices." If American consumers were faced with one fewer ultra low cost carriers, they would obviously disagree.”
This is all much water under the bridge. Spirit had offers from Frontier after the failed JetBlue merger, which spirit leadership shot down. Heck, the offers were probably acceptable valuations but to an incompetent leadership team that has now driven the company into a ditch that couldn't withstand a shock that is known to appear in this industry, aka fuel price spikes, hubris or shock got the better of them. Now they should get nothing. I do think A4A, ALPA, AFA and the Airport lobby groups at least should go and both represent the interests of their stakeholders and tell the administration that if they get money, we should all get money. On the other hand, if they fail, we will endeavor to offer every single one of their employees interviews for positions that they are qualified for, and the routes that are lost will be quickly filled with at least some basic economy fares. That is all much better than saving a Company that has been sitting there digging it's own hole for years now.