Transport Secretary Sean Duffy wasted no time placing blame after Spirit Airlines abruptly ceased all operations on 2 May 2026, ending 34 years in the skies and leaving thousands of passengers stranded at airports across the United States. Speaking at a press conference at Newark Liberty International Airport, Duffy called the collapse 'yet another mess the travelling public has to inherit thanks to the radical policies of Joe Biden and Pete Buttigieg,' arguing that in blocking the JetBlue and Spirit merger in 2024, the previous administration 'turned their backs on the American consumer and our great aviation workforce.'
Duffy said the Biden administration had at the time 'bragged' that blocking the merger was 'a victory for US travelers who deserve lower prices and better choices.' The Biden-era DOJ had argued that blocking the merger would protect fare competition on routes where JetBlue and Spirit overlapped. That framing has since drawn sharp contrast with the reality now facing displaced Spirit workers and stranded flyers, with Duffy insisting the Trump administration was left to clean up the fallout.
