Spirit Airlines Breaks its Silence on 'Abrupt Shutdown' Report

Over the past several months, Spirit Airlines has been facing some immense financial challenges that forced the ultra-low-cost airline to file for bankruptcy for a second time in under a year. Now, a report has surfaced claiming that Spirit is on the brink of total collapse.

The airline has denied that report, but if there is any truth to it, it would have major ramifications for customers, especially amidst one of the busiest travel seasons of the year.

Spirit Reportedly Faces 'Abrupt Shutdown'

According to a report from The Air Current, Spirit's competitors entered the weekend preparing for the possibility that the ultra-low-cost carrier faced the possibility of an "abrupt shutdown" as early as Saturday.

The outlet reported that multiple airlines were planning out additional flight schedules to serve the passengers who would be stranded if Spirit goes under, with multiple executives believing that Spirit would not be able to obtain the financing it would require to stay afloat.

It's worth noting that Saturday has already passed with Spirit still afloat, but it does not sound like the airline is out of the woods just yet.

Spirit Breaks Its Silence, Issues Statement

Despite this report and Spirit's highly publicized financial issues, the airline broke its silence on Friday, denying that it was preparing to cease operations and declaring that it was "business as usual at Spirit."

"There is no truth to any rumors that we are preparing to cease operations. It is business as usual at Spirit and flights continue to operate normally," a Spirit spokeswoman told The Air Currentin an emailed statement. "We are working closely with our debtor-in-possession (DIP") providers and other key stakeholders on a wide variety of issues to support the financial needs and future of the business, as we have been throughout our restructuring process. These ongoing discussions remain productive."

Spirit has 2,710 flights scheduled between Dec. 14 and Dec. 20 that would obviously be in jeopardy if the airline were to abruptly shut down. However, it seems like Spirit is still moving forward, at least for now.

Ramifications For Customers

While Spirit Airlines has obviously denied this report, The Thrifty Traveler defended the report from The Air Current, pointing out that the outlet is "written and edited by some of the most knowledgeable aviation journalists who know the industry front to back" and is "not just a baseless rumor or gossip."

Given The Air Current's credibility and track record of accurate reporting, this is something that customers should pay close attention to, given the ramifications across the industry at a very busy time for travel.

"A sudden failure would likely leave thousands of Spirit customers stranded heading into the hectic holiday travel season. The U.S. airlines preparing for that prospect are reportedly discussing how to step in with additional flights to keep passengers moving," The Thrifty Travelerwrote this week.

We'll have to see how this whole situation plays out, but it's certainly worth noting for anyone planning to travel over the next few days and weeks.