Spirit Airlines says it's going out of business after 34 years and is ending operations immediately

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Spirit Airlines, an impish upstart that shook the industry with its irreverent ads and deep discount fares, announced Saturday that it has gone out of business after 34 years. The ultralow-cost airline that once operated hundreds of daily flights on its bright yellow planes and employed about 17,000 people said it had “started an orderly wind-down of our operations, effective immediately.” The airline said on its website that all flights have been canceled 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 said. The company advised customers that they could expect refunds but there would be no help in booking travel on other airlines. The Trump administration had considered a government bailout for the cash-strapped business to keep it from going under, but a deal was not reached. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said that travelers booked on Spirit flights could access special prices on a group of other airlines for a limited time, and said other carriers would help Spirit pilots and flight attendants return