Spirit Airlines is reportedly shutting down permanently on Saturday, and many are now blaming Democrat Sen. Elizabeth Warren.
Three years ago, Warren demanded that the then-Biden administration block JetBlue from buying and taking over Spirit Airlines for $3.8 billion.
The senator at the time submitted a letter to then-Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg arguing that the responsible decision was to block JetBlue from merging with Spirit Airlines.
We don’t need yet another big merger in the already highly consolidated airline industry. When airlines get bigger, passengers face higher prices, more delays & fewer choices. I’m urging @USDOT to use its authority to block mergers that harm competition.https://t.co/Zs3PW8NHhg
— Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) September 17, 2022
“DOT has the statutory authority to block mergers that it determines are inconsistent with the public interest at the agency level without having to go to court – a significant advantage over DOJ – and you have an enormous opportunity to protect consumers nationwide by using this authority aggressively,” she wrote.
She added that a merger would lead to higher fares.
“According to Spirit’s own analysis, which it presented to its shareholders in a bid to prevent a hostile JetBlue merger from being approved, ‘a JetBlue transaction would substantially raise fares for consumers,” she explained.
She also fretted that allowing Spirit to continue would mean its poor performance metrics would be allowed to continue.
“Spirit is the nation’s worst airline across a range of operational metrics,” she wrote. “It often has the highest rate of flight cancellations and lowest on-time rate of any marketing carrier.”
“Flight attendants unions have accused Spirit of being grossly unprepared to handle weather-related cancellation events, which have often resulted in ‘operational meltdowns’ that left passengers and workers ‘stranded without answers.’ Spirit’s practices are sparking operational concerns, and a merger with JetBlue could expand those practices to more planes and more travelers,” she added.
Six months after the letter was submitted, the Biden Department of Justice sued to block the merger. Following a lengthy trial, the deal was permanently blocked by a judge in January of 2024.
Warren celebrated the judge’s decision:
This anticompetitive airline deal would have increased prices and reduced options for flyers. Even a Reagan-appointed federal judge agreed!
A major win by @JusticeATR Kanter & @MassAGO Campbell & further evidence of successful antitrust enforcement by the Biden administration. https://t.co/TArpoZNXS6
— Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) January 16, 2024
Years later, Spirit is now, after a recent failed bailout attempt by the Trump administration, shuttering down permanently.
“It is with great disappointment that on May 2, 2026, Spirit Airlines started an orderly wind-down of our operations, effective immediately,” the airline announced online this week.
“To our Guests: all flights have been cancelled, and customer service is no longer available. We are proud of the impact of our ultra-low-cost model on the industry over the last 34 years and had hoped to serve our Guests for many years to come,” the announcement continued.
According to CNN, the airline shutting down “will put 17,000 workers out of a job, including 14,000 Spirit employees and thousands of contractors and other people whose jobs depend on Spirit.”
As noted up top, many now blame Warren.
Look:
Congrats on Spirit Airlines closing. Happy that 14,000+ jobs were lost because of your actions in 2022?
— Mur
(@SquirrelMurray) May 2, 2026
Care to comment on killing spirit airlines and putting 40,000 people out of work? You are souly responsible for this travesty
— BrutalBoy (@SuperStableNews) May 2, 2026
Elizabeth Warren fought the merger of Spirit Airlines and Jet Blue. Now Spirit Airlines has ended operations. Democrats are not good for the economy. Everyone loses their jobs
— Jim (@Jim863369421484) May 2, 2026
@SenWarren was the driving force causing Spirit Airline bankruptcy by helping to prevent Jet Blue from purchasing and combining the two. Having trouble finding a flight or even contacting a carrier? Blame @SenWarren
— BJM (@bjmartin418) May 2, 2026
You know who is really being flattened by rising costs today? All of the employees of Spirit Airlines who are now out of a job because you singlehandly killed the merger with JetBlue. I hope that keeps you up at night, Pocahontas.
— H5AF-SS (@pcwesq21) May 2, 2026
Spirit Airlines died tonight at the hands of the socialist crusader, Elizabeth Warren
She must be so proud to add another casket to her achievements.
Tonight at 3am, Spirit turns off the lights. 14,000 jobs gone. 30+ smaller airports lose service.
JetBlue offered $3.8 BILLION…
— Yogi (@Houseofyogi) May 2, 2026
