Budget airline Spirit Airlines goes bankrupt

After 34 years of operation and a presence in the skies over the US (and beyond), one of the most recognisable airlines in the United States and one of the world’s best-known low-cost carriers is disappearing from the map. Flight NK 1833 on 2 May 2026 was the last in the airline’s history. After two bankruptcies, many successes, but also a host of problems along the way, the story of Spirit Airlines has come to an end. The strategy of ultra-low-cost flights across the US now leaves a void, and it is unclear whether anyone will take the place of the aircraft with their distinctive yellow livery, or whether this marks the end of the era of ultra-low-cost flying in the United States.

Source: NBC News