Spirit Airlines to pull out of Salt Lake City amid bankruptcy restructuring plans

SALT LAKE CITY — Spirit Airlines is pulling out of Salt Lake City International Airport and a handful of other destinations amid its bankruptcy restructuring plans, ending a 3½ year stay in Utah’s capital city.

Related: Spirit Airlines files for bankruptcy protection again

“As part of our efforts to transform our business and position Spirit for long-term success, we are adjusting our network to focus on our strongest performing markets,” the airline announced in a statement on Thursday. “We apologize to our guests for any inconvenience this may cause and will reach out to those with affected reservations to notify them of their options, including a refund.”

The low-cost carrier said it will cease Salt Lake City operations on Oct. 2. It currently offers service to Detroit, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Orlando, Florida, and accounts for about 1% to 2% of Salt Lake City International Airport’s seating capacity, said Nancy Volmer, a spokeswoman for the airport. However, she points out that all four cities are covered by other airlines.

“Salt Lake City Department of Airports regrets to hear the news that SLC is one of the 11 markets that Spirit is leaving. We understand the challenges they are facing and wish them well,” she said in a statement.

Spirit’s announcement comes a week after the Florida-based airline filed for bankruptcy last week for the second time within the past year. CEO Dave Davis said the airline exited the process earlier this year, but it had “become clear that there is much more work to be done, and many more tools are available to best position Spirit for the future,” the Associated Press reported.

It had announced plans to expand to Salt Lake City in early 2022, as airport traffic began picking up after the COVID-19 pandemic. It was, at the time, the airport’s first new airline in eight years because the old facility essentially capped service expansions, airport officials explained at the time. They were excited because they believed its low-cost model might work for Utah families looking to cut travel costs.

“I think this is going to be a very popular service. It’s an ultra-low-cost carrier, so the fares will be very competitive. I think that’s something that people in this region are really going to appreciate,” said Bill Wyatt, executive director of the airport, at the time.

However, the airline has struggled to rebound from the pandemic in the same way Salt Lake City’s airport has. It had lost more than $2.5 billion since the start of 2020 by the time it filed for bankruptcy in November 2024, the Associated Press reported.

The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York approved a restructuring plan, the airline announced on Wednesday. This allows the airline to continue its operations during the bankruptcy process, while the company develops a plan to repay its vendors and suppliers for goods.

Those plans also call for scaling back service. Spirit’s service to the following locations will also end on Oct. 2:

 

• Albuquerque, New Mexico
• Birmingham, Alabama
• Boise, Idaho
• Chattanooga, Tennessee
• Columbia, South Carolina
• Oakland, California
• Portland, Oregon
• Sacramento, California
• San Jose, California

 

Spirit is also canceling its plan to begin service to Macon, Georgia, which was scheduled to start on Oct. 16.

“We are grateful to the airports, business partners and community members in these markets who welcomed and supported us,” the company added.