Overview

• United CEO Scott Kirby said he expects Spirit to shut down, adding "because I'm good at math" when asked to justify the prediction.
• Spirit entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection late last month for the second time in about a year after an earlier restructuring fell short.
• The airline will exit 11 U.S. cities the week of Oct. 2 and will no longer launch planned service to Macon, Georgia on Oct. 16.
• Rivals have begun filling gaps in Spirit's footprint, with United announcing new routes to 15 cities starting Jan. 6, 2026 and framing them as options if Spirit collapses.
• Spirit pushed back on X, asserting that customers value its low fares and promoting new Spirit First and Premium Economy offerings.