Business | November 23, 2024 edition

Spirit Airlines filed for bankruptcy, the first major carrier in America to go bankrupt since American Airlines in 2011. Spirit, a low-cost airline, has not turned an annual profit since 2019 and, like other discount rivals, has seen fares plunge amid a glut of seats. In January, a judge blocked JetBlue Airways’ takeover on competition grounds. A proposed merger with Frontier Airlines also came to fruition. Spirit regularly appears at the top of lists of America’s most hated airline, a crowded field.