The Trump administration made a significant effort to prevent Spirit Airlines from shutting down, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said. Talks were ongoing about a $500 million bailout for Spirit Airlines, but a deal couldn't be reached, as the airline had been in "dire straits" prior to the Iran war. Other airlines agreed to help stranded Spirit employees and customers. Spirit Airlines filed for bankruptcy in 2025, its second in less than one year. The company's troubles were exacerbated by the Biden administration's rejection of an attempted merger between Spirit and JetBlue in 2024.