Spirit Airlines, one of the most prominent low-cost airlines in the United States, announced the cancellation of all its flights and the start of implementing a plan to gradually stop its activities, in light of the worsening financial crisis it has been facing for months. This step comes after the company was affected by the rise in aviation fuel prices, against the backdrop of tensions and war in the Middle East, which increased pressure on its operational performance. In a related context, US President Donald Trump hinted in late April at the possibility of the state intervening to buy the company, which declared bankruptcy twice in 2025, in an attempt to save thousands of jobs associated with it. It is noteworthy that Spirit Airlines, which was founded in 1992 and is known for its distinctive yellow planes, is one of the first low-cost airlines in the American market. According to US Department of Transportation data, Spirit Airlines is the ninth largest American airline in terms of number of passengers, with the number of its passengers reaching 28 million between February 2025 and January 2026. The number of its employees was slightly more than 11,000 in 2024. Spirit Aviation Holdings, the parent company of Spirit Airlines, announced in a statement on Saturday morning that it “has begun the process of gradually and orderly stopping its activities, with the decision taking effect immediately.” She added, "All Spirit flights have been cancelled, and the company's customers should not go to the airport." A message on the company's website home page stated that "customer service is currently unavailable," but the company confirmed that it would refund the amounts paid for previously purchased tickets. Spirit CEO Dave Davis explained that the company reached an agreement in March with its creditors on a restructuring plan that would have enabled it to successfully resume its activities. But the sharp rise in aviation fuel prices since the beginning of the war in the Middle East “left it no choice but to begin a gradual and orderly cessation of its activities,” Davis said. Jet fuel prices have more than doubled since the start of the war with Iran in late February.