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A Spirit Airlines aircraft at Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S., on Saturday, May 2, 2026. —Daniel Heuer—Bloomberg via Getty Images(SeaPRwire) - Budget carrier Spirit Airlines revealed on Saturday that it has formally ceased operations following years of financial struggles, pointing to surging fuel costs linked to the Iran War as the final push over the edge.The airline stated it had carried out “wide-ranging and thorough attempts to restructure its operations” after filing for bankruptcy twice in 2024 and 2025, but noted that the “abrupt and ongoing increase in fuel prices over recent weeks finally left us with no other option.”Spirit told passengers that all its flights had been canceled, refunds were in progress, and they should seek to rebook with other airlines.Spirit Airlines was established in 1983 as Charter One Airlines, a charter tour company. It rebranded to Spirit in 1992, transitioning into a passenger carrier and a trailblazer in budget air travel, providing stripped-down services in return for low base fares. In 2025, it transported approximately 30 million passengers— a significant decline from its peak of more than 44 million in 2023 and 2024, per President Donald Trump and his administration proposed a possible $500 million federal bailout for the Florida-headquartered airline, but bondholders failed to agree on how to restructure and save the company using those funds.What led to Spirit’s closure?Spirit faced financial troubles long before the Iran War began, but the unexpected global energy crisis triggered by Iran’s closure and control of the Strait of Hormuz—through which roughly 20% of the world’s oil passes—speeded up the airline’s collapse.Dave Davis, Spirit’s President and CEO, identified “the sudden and sustained rise in fuel prices in recent weeks” as the cause of the airline’s shutdown.“Keeping the business afloat would have needed hundreds of millions more in liquidity that Spirit just doesn’t have and couldn’t obtain,” he stated in the company’s announcement. “This is extremely disheartening and not the result any of us hoped for.”Per J.P. Morgan analysts referenced by the Wall Street Journal, if fuel prices stayed high, Spirit’s expenses would have increased by $360 million by year’s end.Spirit’s shutdown comes after years of larger airlines adjusting to compete with its budget-friendly services. Loyalty schemes, co-branded credit cards, corporate alliances, and frequent-flyer benefits at major carriers like Delta and American Airlines drew cost-conscious travelers away from Spirit.Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy challenged the idea that Spirit’s closure could be blamed on the Iran War during a Saturday news conference.“Spirit was in deep trouble long before the war with Iran,” Duffy noted. “Their business model wasn’t working; they couldn’t achieve financial stability. So the war wasn’t the driving force behind Spirit’s collapse.”Instead, Duffy pointed the finger at the Biden administration and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg for Spirit’s shutdown, citing the Justice Department’s 2023 lawsuit to block a proposed merger between Spirit and larger rival JetBlue. The Biden-era Justice Department argued that the merger would lead to higher fares and fewer options for tens of millions of travelers.Trump’s efforts to save the airlineOver the past several weeks, Trump has been discussing a potential bailout for Spirit, proposing a $500 million federal package that might have let the government own up to 90% of the airline.In an April interview with CNBC’s Squawk Box, he said he’d “love for someone to buy Spirit—it’s 14,000 jobs—and maybe the federal government should assist with that.”However, his interest sparked worries from both Republicans and Democrats, who doubted if taking over Spirit was the most effective use of U.S. taxpayer money.Senate Republican Ted Cruz stated on X in April: “The government has no clue how to run a failing budget airline.”In his statement, Davis expressed gratitude to the administration “for their exceptional efforts to try to protect jobs and services nationwide.”In a Saturday statement, Duffy and the Transportation Department announced that other airlines are limiting ticket prices for Spirit passengers seeking to rebook their flights.Are other budget airlines at risk?Since the U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran began on Feb. 28, U.S. jet fuel prices have jumped by almost 70%, per the Argus U.S. Jet Fuel Index.The crisis has affected nearly every airline and traveler, driving up prices and causing travel instability.Customers are feeling this increase acutely as airlines adjust by raising baggage fees and ticket prices to offset costs. Travel search engine Kayak reports that the average international fare from U.S. departure points has risen by roughly 37% since the war started.Smaller airlines globally are being forced to make tougher choices because of their slimmer profit margins. In mid-April, Mexican holiday carrier Magnicharters canceled all its flights for two weeks, leaving some travelers stranded in popular vacation spots like Cancún, Mérida, and Huatulco.At the same time, Ryanair, Europe’s biggest airline, has said it’s thinking about cutting routes, as have smaller carriers in Europe and Asia such as Vietnam Airlines, AirAsia, and Scandinavian Airlines—all citing escalating jet fuel costs. This article is provided by a third-party content provider. SeaPRwire (https://www.seaprwire.com/) makes no warranties or representations regarding its content. Category: Top News, Daily News SeaPRwire provides global press release distribution services for companies and organizations, covering more than 6,500 media outlets, 86,000 editors and journalists, and over 3.5 million end-user desktop and mobile apps. SeaPRwire supports multilingual press release distribution in English, Japanese, German, Korean, French, Russian, Indonesian, Malay, Vietnamese, Chinese, and more.

In this handout image released by U.S. Central Command, American forces are seen patrolling the Arabian Sea near the M/V Touska on April 20, 2026, following an engagement with the Iranian-flagged vessel. The U.S. alleged the ship was attempting to breach the naval blockade of Iranian ports near the Strait of Hormuz. —Handout Photo by the U.S. Navy via Getty Images(SeaPRwire) - President Donald Trump likened the U.S. Navy to pirates while discussing the execution of his directives to blockade Iranian ports."We seized the vessel, we seized the cargo, we seized the oil. It is a highly lucrative operation," Trump remarked on Friday evening, describing the capture of an Iranian ship. "We are essentially acting like pirates, but we are not playing around."The United States initiated a naval blockade of Iranian ports last month after peace negotiations collapsed, a move ostensibly taken in retaliation for Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz.Prior to the surprise U.S. and Israeli offensive against Iran on February 28—a conflict that has resulted in thousands of civilian casualties—this energy corridor facilitated the transport of one-fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas.Following the attack, Iran halted all maritime transit through the Strait. In recent weeks, Tehran has partially eased these restrictions, permitting vessels from allied and non-combatant nations to pass upon payment of a toll.According to Trump, the U.S. blockade targets both Iranian vessels and any other ships that have paid transit fees to Iran.On April 29, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander Adm. Brad Cooper reported that U.S. forces had intercepted and redirected over 40 commercial ships attempting to bypass the blockade."Currently, there are 41 tankers carrying 69 million barrels of oil that the Iranian regime is unable to sell. This represents an estimated loss of over $6 billion in potential revenue for Iran's leadership. The blockade is proving highly effective, and U.S. forces remain dedicated to its full enforcement," he stated. Since that announcement, CENTCOM confirmed that four additional vessels have been redirected, raising the total to 45 since the blockade commenced on April 13.In an April 12 post on Truth Social, Trump declared that the U.S. Navy would intercept "any and all ships attempting to enter or exit the Strait of Hormuz," stating that the blockade would persist until Iran grants unrestricted access to the waterway.The disruption of oil transit through the passage has triggered significant surges in global oil prices and necessitated fuel rationing worldwide.Data from AAA indicates that the average price of gasoline in the U.S. reached $4.39 per gallon on Friday. On Saturday, Spirit Airlines became the first U.S. carrier to suspend operations due to escalating fuel costs stemming from the conflict with Iran, with jet fuel prices having doubled since the war began two months ago. This article is provided by a third-party content provider. SeaPRwire (https://www.seaprwire.com/) makes no warranties or representations regarding its content. Category: Top News, Daily News SeaPRwire provides global press release distribution services for companies and organizations, covering more than 6,500 media outlets, 86,000 editors and journalists, and over 3.5 million end-user desktop and mobile apps. SeaPRwire supports multilingual press release distribution in English, Japanese, German, Korean, French, Russian, Indonesian, Malay, Vietnamese, Chinese, and more.

A massive banner featuring President Trump's face, recently unveiled at the Department of Justice headquarters in Washington, D.C., has drawn sharp criticism from Democrats. Spanning multiple floors, the banner includes the “Make America Safe Again” slogan, which the Trump Administration utilizes to advocate for its immigration enforcement efforts. California Governor Gavin Newsom, a frequent Trump critic, labeled the display “beyond parody,” asking, “How many dictatorship-style monuments, building name changes, and fake awards do Americans have to endure?” Additional legislators raised concerns about whether the imagery erodes the distinction between political propaganda and the autonomy of federal law enforcement. “The Department of Justice is meant to serve and represent the people, not a single individual,” stated Senator Andy Kim of New Jersey. Representative Jimmy Gomez of California remarked, “Trump is plastering his face on the very building tasked with investigating him. There was a time when a President could not treat the Attorney General like a personal subordinate.” [video id=dm9W9Nhn autostart="viewable" vertical video_text=Pam Bondi declines to directly apologize to Epstein victims during Capitol Hill testimony] During her testimony before the House Judiciary Committee on February 11 regarding the DOJ's management of the Epstein files, Attorney General Pam Bondi faced questions from multiple lawmakers who suggested she demonstrates undue loyalty to Trump. “Trump orders up prosecutions like pizza, and you deliver every time,” claimed Representative Jamie Raskin, the committee's ranking Democrat. Bondi defended her record, asserting that she entered office with the intent of refocusing the Justice Department on its primary mission following what she described as “years of bloated bureaucracy and political weaponization.” However, the installation of the banner at the DOJ has only intensified existing concerns. Beyond Democratic legislators, other figures in Washington have also reacted to the new display. Laura Coates, a former federal prosecutor under previous administrations, noted she cannot remember ever walking under images of former Presidents George Bush or Barack Obama, or political slogans, outside the building. “You’re not supposed to engage in political activities as a member of the Department of Justice,” she stated, arguing that it has effectively become “Trump’s DOJ.” “That firewall of independence between the White House and main justice seems to be crumbling before our very eyes,” added Coates, a CNN legal analyst. While the Justice Department is designed to function independently from the White House, Trump has previously urged Bondi to prosecute his political adversaries. Recently, federal prosecutors filed charges against the New York Attorney General and former officials, though these cases were subsequently dismissed. Additionally, the department is looking into individuals regarding their congressional testimony and others for potentially obstructing federal immigration enforcement via public statements. Comey was among the critics who reacted to the Trump banner outside the DOJ, describing the sight as “sickening.” TIME has reached out to the Justice Department for a comment. This incident is not the first instance of Trump's image appearing on federal buildings. Last May, banners featuring Trump alongside President Abraham Lincoln were displayed at the Department of Agriculture. In August, a banner showing Trump’s second inaugural portrait next to President Theodore Roosevelt was installed at the Department of Labor with the slogan “American Workers First.” As Newsom noted, Trump has also attempted to attach his name to prominent Washington landmarks. In a controversial move, Trump’s name was added to the Kennedy Center in December, a decision made by the board he chairs and appointed. Later that month, the Department of State rebranded the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP) building to include Trump’s name.