Trump Urges Federal Help or Buyer as Spirit Airlines Struggles

President Donald Trump said Tuesday he would "love somebody to buy Spirit" and suggested the federal government "maybe" should help the airline, according to a CNBC interview.

Spirit filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in August 2025 and its plan to exit has been threatened by a surge in jet fuel prices after strikes on Iran pushed crude above $100 a barrel.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the president directed the Department of Transportation to review possible options and that he planned to meet with budget carriers, Duffy said.

Roughly 14,000 jobs are at stake, and JPMorgan analysts estimated higher fuel prices could add about $360 million to Spirit's expenses compared with $337 million in cash reported at year-end, reports said.

Spirit told a bankruptcy court it had a deal to exit bankruptcy and expected to emerge by early summer to the middle of 2026, and the Association of Flight Attendants said there are ongoing efforts to keep Spirit operating, according to filings and reporting.