Spirit Airlines Is Making Big Changes This November After Ongoing Financial Struggles

Spirit Airlines, a budget carrier, may not be the most popular airline — but it is among the safest. It's also one of the best airlines for finding low prices on last-minute flights. But even with its strong safety record and bargain fares, the airline is facing financial woes that are forcing significant changes. Starting in November 2025, Spirit will cut its flight capacity by about 25%. In a memo to employees, CEO Dave Davis said the cuts are intended to "optimize our network to focus on our strongest markets," according to CNBC. It's not exactly clear at this time what routes are being reduced, but the move continues a trend we've seen with Spirit Airlines.

Earlier in September, it was reported that the airline, whose main hub is in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, known as the "Venice of America," would be eliminating service to several destinations the following month, including Albuquerque, Birmingham, Boise, Portland, San Diego, and Sacramento. The carrier had only recently begun service to Columbia, South Carolina, and Chattanooga, Tennessee in June. However, apparently, those routes weren't popular enough to continue, and they were also axed in October.

Along with Spirit Airlines' planned flight reductions, the company may also cut or furlough employees. Spirit filed for bankruptcy protection in August 2025, following a bankruptcy filing in November 2024. That first bankruptcy was resolved by March, but the airline's clearly still not in good shape. Before these bankruptcies, the airline made unsuccessful attempts to merge with JetBlue and Frontier Airlines.

In addition to the cuts in service and potentially in staffing, Spirit Airlines received negative attention recently when one of its flights got too close to Air Force One while President Donald Trump was aboard en route to the U.K. The social media response to the incident has left some people confirming that they are unhappy with the airline, adversely affecting its public perception even further.

Spirit does not appear to throw in the towel and close entirely. But if you have flights booked with them for November or later, it's a good idea to verify whether your flight is still scheduled.