Spirit Airlines To Shut Down MSP Operations Amid Bankruptcy Cuts

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — Spirit Airlines will permanently end service at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport on Dec. 1, 2025, the cash-strapped budget carrier confirmed Monday.

"As part of our ongoing restructuring, we have adjusted our upcoming schedule to focus on our strongest markets.

This includes the difficult decision to discontinue service at Hartford (BDL), effective Oct. 31, 2025, and Minneapolis (MSP), effective Dec. 1, 2025," Spirit spokesperson Cameryn Junck said in a statement to Patch.

The airline said it will reach out to travelers with affected reservations to issue refunds and thanked its community partners in Minnesota for their support.

Spirit’s exit from MSP comes as the airline undergoes its second bankruptcy filing in less than a year.

Spirit filed for Chapter 11 protection last month and has since announced it will temporarily suspend operations in roughly a dozen U.S. cities, including Sacramento, Oakland, San Diego, San Jose, Albuquerque, Birmingham, Boise, Chattanooga, Columbia (South Carolina), Portland, and Salt Lake City.

The company also said Monday it will furlough 1,800 flight attendants before the end of the year. The Association of Flight Attendants, which represents Spirit cabin crew, said the company is seeking volunteers for six-month or one-year furloughs starting Nov. 1 before involuntary furloughs take effect Dec. 1.

Spirit has already implemented pilot furloughs and captain downgrades tied to expected reductions in flight demand in 2026.

The airline has lost more than $2.5 billion since 2020 and has struggled to rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic as operational costs and debt piled up.

Known for its bright yellow planes and no-frills service, Spirit said it "does not anticipate any additional airport exits in the near future."

But its future remains uncertain as the carrier continues to restructure and weigh asset sales after failed buyout attempts from rivals JetBlue and Frontier.

Reporting from the Associated Press was used in this story.