Where troubled airline Spirit flies to from Columbus
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Financial troubles at Spirit Airlines have the company in negotiations to restructure debt it's taken and put the outlook of the budget airline in doubt.
Spirit flies out of three Ohio airports, including John Glenn International in Columbus. Spirit delayed the release of its quarterly earnings Wednesday as it continues negotiations, sending its stock down 58% in afternoon trading Wednesday.
Should Spirit cut service or shut down, it could affect these current regular flights out of John Glenn International, based on information from online service FlightsFrom:
- New York (LaGuardia): 5-9 flights daily
- Newark Liberty: 7-8 flights daily, five days a week
- Orlando: 5 flights daily
- Las Vegas: 3-5 flights daily
- Fort Lauderdale: 1-3 flights daily
- Tampa: 1-3 flights daily, three days a week
- Los Angeles: 0-1 flight daily
Spirit said negotiations are progressing toward an agreement that would protect creditors and customers. However, the company said if such a deal is reached, it would be expected to wipe out existing shares.
The low-cost airline has been struggling to recover from the pandemic-caused swoon in travel. A federal judge blocked an attempt to sell the airline to JetBlue after the Justice Department sued on antitrust grounds.
Spirit disclosed after the market closed Tuesday that it had notified the Securities and Exchange Commission it would be late in filing its third-quarter financial report while it continued discussions with holders of debt that is due for repayment in 2025 and 2026.
In addition to the seven destinations currently serviced by Spirit, it previously offered service from Columbus to:
- Boston
- Dallas
- New Orleans
- Myrtle Beach
- Chicago (O'Hare)
- Pensacola
- Fort Myers
In the first six months of the year, Spirit passengers flew 2% more than they did in the same period last year. However, they were paying 10% less per mile, and revenue per mile from fares was down nearly 20%, contributing to Spirit’s red ink.
Spirit’s costs, especially for labor, have risen. The biggest U.S. airlines have snagged some of Spirit’s budget-conscious customers by offering their own brand of bare-bones tickets. And fares for U.S. leisure travel — Spirit’s core business — sagged most of this year because of a glut of seats on domestic flights.
Frontier Airlines tried to merge with Spirit in 2022 but was outbid by JetBlue. The Justice Department sued JetBlue and Spirit, saying a merger would drive up prices for Spirit customers who depend on low fares, and a federal judge agreed in January. JetBlue and Spirit dropped their merger two months later.
U.S. airline bankruptcies were common in the 1990s and 2000s, as airlines struggled with fierce competition, high labor costs and sudden spikes in the price of jet fuel. While some airlines survived the turbulence and a wave of mergers, Pan Am, TWA, Northwest, Continental and US Airways all disappeared.
The last bankruptcy by a major U.S. carrier ended when American Airlines emerged from Chapter 11 protection and simultaneously merged with US Airways in December 2013.
The Associated Press contributed to this report