A budget airline has warned it’s at risk of shutting down within a year, citing weak leisure travel demand.<\/p>\n
Spirit Airlines, an ultra-low-cost carrier based in Dania Beach, Florida, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in November 2024. Four months later, it launched a turnaround strategy<\/a>, rebranding as a premium carrier and targeting more affluent travelers.<\/p>\n But on Aug. 11, 2025, Spirit disclosed in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that it doubts whether it can fulfill financial obligations set as part of the terms of the end of its bankruptcy.<\/p>\n Here’s why Spirit Airlines may be going out of business and what it might mean for flights at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.<\/p>\n Is Spirit Airlines going out of business in 2025?<\/p>\n It’s too early to say, but it’s possible within the next 12 months, according to Spirit Airlines.<\/p>\n Despite emerging from bankruptcy protection and its rebranding efforts, Spirit saw weak demand for leisure travel during the spring and early summer of 2025 and an “elevated” number of available seats on flights. This resulted in what Spirit described in the SEC filing as “a challenging pricing environment.”<\/p>\n “As a result, (Spirit) continues to experience challenges and uncertainties in its business operations and expects these trends to continue for at least the remainder of 2025,” Spirit stated in the filing.<\/p>\n Spirit said it took measures to address its challenges, including introducing a premium economy fare class and furloughing 270 pilots<\/a>. Future efforts to meet its obligations may include selling certain aircraft, real estate and excess airport gate capacity, Spirit stated in SEC documents.<\/p>\n But it can’t guarantee those efforts will keep the airline in business.<\/p>\n “Management has concluded there is substantial doubt as to (Spirit)’s ability to continue as a going concern within 12 months from the date these financial statements are issued,” the filing stated.<\/p>\n Get the Arizona news you need. <\/strong>Sign up<\/strong><\/a> for AZ Briefing from azcentral.<\/strong><\/p>\n Can you still fly on Spirit Airlines?<\/p>\n Yes, you can still fly on Spirit Airlines, though it’s unclear for how long. Spirit has a small footprint at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport compared with its closest budget competitor, Frontier Airlines.<\/p>\n Spirit’s website<\/a> lists about 50 routes out of Sky Harbor, including nonstops to Detroit<\/a> and Fort Lauderdale. The Detroit route operates four days a week, while the Fort Lauderdale route flies twice a week.<\/p>\n Spirit passengers can get connecting flights from Phoenix to numerous destinations, including New York City; Washington, D.C.; Bogota, Colombia; Cancun, Mexico; and Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.<\/p>\n Spirit flew 366,029 passengers at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport in 2024, down from 583,926 in 2023, airport data showed. (Frontier flew 2.7 million passengers at Sky Harbor in 2024.)<\/p>\n The Arizona Republic contacted Spirit for comment.<\/p>\n Southwest Airlines assigned seating: <\/strong>When it starts, how it will work<\/a><\/p>\n Michael Salerno is an award-winning journalist who\u2019s covered travel and tourism since 2014. His work as The Arizona Republic\u2019s consumer travel reporter aims to help readers navigate the stresses of traveling and get the best value for their money on their vacations. He can be reached at\u00a0Michael.Salerno@gannett.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n Support local journalism.<\/strong>\u00a0Subscribe to\u00a0azcentral.com<\/a>\u00a0today.<\/p>\n