“The Trump administration continues to monitor the situation and overall health of the U.S. aviation industry that millions of Americans rely on every day for essential travel and their livelihoods,” White House spokesperson Kush Desai told Fortune in a statement.
“Spirit Airlines would be on a much firmer financial footing had the Biden administration not recklessly blocked the airline’s merger with JetBlue,” the statement contineud.
Desai is referring to a 2022 bid by JetBlue to buy Spirit for $3.8 billion, arguing the two smaller carriers together would create a larger challenger to the “Big Four” airlines in the U.S.: American, Delta, Southwest, and United.
Global airline carriers, not just Spirit, are dealing with surging jet fuel prices thanks to U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, which have disrupted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz—previously the route taken by more than a fifth of the world’s oil supply tankers.
Spirit has said it plans to shrink its fleet to about one‑third of its pre‑bankruptcy size, retaining roughly 76 to 80 aircraft by the third quarter of 2026. It built the plan based on fuel costs averaging about $2.24 per gallon in 2026 and $2.14 in 2027, according to its March disclosures.
By mid-April, jet fuel prices were around $4.24 a gallon, roughly double the level assumed in its projections.
