{"id":2598976,"date":"2026-05-05T13:11:01","date_gmt":"2026-05-05T17:11:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/florida-and-jetblue-aiding-spirit-employees-after-airline-shut-down\/"},"modified":"2026-05-05T13:14:41","modified_gmt":"2026-05-05T17:14:41","slug":"florida-and-jetblue-aiding-spirit-employees-after-airline-shut-down","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/florida-and-jetblue-aiding-spirit-employees-after-airline-shut-down\/","title":{"rendered":"Florida and JetBlue aiding Spirit employees after airline shut down"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fflorida-and-jetblue-aiding-spirit-employees-after-airline-shut-down%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2598976&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Florida is stepping in to help former Spirit Airlines employees after the carrier shut down following failed talks with the Trump administration to address its financial crisis. The Florida Department of Commerce is hosting \u201cRapid Response\u201d events in the coming two days and has created a hotline for laid-off workers to seek reemployment assistance; about 5,000 of roughly 17,000 job losses were in Florida.<\/p>\n<p>Spirit employees and passengers were left in limbo when Spirit canceled all flights over the weekend, prompting othre airlines to move quickly to fill the gap. United, American, and Frontier offered customer support early, while JetBlue expanded service out of Fort Lauderdale-adding 11 new nonstop routes and offering one-way $99 \u201crescue fares\u201d to stranded Spirit customers through Wednesday.<\/p>\n<p>The article also notes that JetBlue and Spirit had tried to merge, but the deal was blocked in 2024 on antitrust grounds.Court filings cited rising oil prices tied to the iran war as a key driver of spirit\u2019s collapse, and the airline had filed for Chapter 11 twice in under a year before shutting down. The federal Transportation Department is also providing relief, including ticket price caps for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/maine-democrat-gov-janet-mills-urges-electric-vehicles-as-solution-to-high-gas-prices\/\" title=\"Maine Democrat Gov. Janet Mills Urges Electric Vehicles as Solution to High Gas Prices\">low-income customers<\/a> and preferential employment interviews for Spirit workers.<\/p>\n<p>On Monday, Florida Republican candidate James Fishback visited Spirit\u2019s shuttered Fort Lauderdale headquarters and argued that the Biden administration\u2019s actions prevented the JetBlue-Spirit merger, contributing to the shutdown.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/florida\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"159\">Florida<\/a> is coming to the rescue of former Spirit Airlines employees after the company unexpectedly shut down over the weekend following its failure to reach a deal with the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/trump-administration\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"339\">Trump administration<\/a> to solve its financial crisis.<\/p>\n<p>The Florida Department of Commerce is co-hosting \u201cRapid Response\u201d events with career resource centers on Tuesday and Wednesday to help displaced Spirit employees. Of the roughly 17,000 workers who lost their jobs, nearly 5,000 were based in the Sunshine State.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4553519\/watch-live-trump-attends-small-business-week-summit\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>WATCH LIVE: Trump attends small business summit at White House<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/business\/4553670\/kalshi-blocks-minors-prediction-markets\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Kalshi blocks minors from prediction markets, following suit with senators<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/business\/4553778\/spirit-airlines-byron-york\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Spirit Airlines wasn\u2019t \u2018destined to prosper\u2019: Byron York<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p>The Florida government also set up a dedicated hotline for laid-off Spirit Airlines workers who want to file a claim for reemployment assistance as they search for new jobs or training.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>Spirit employees and customers were left in limbo on Saturday when the carrier <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/business\/4552435\/spirit-airline-shut-down-all-flights-canceled\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/business\/4552435\/spirit-airline-shut-down-all-flights-canceled\/\">canceled all flights<\/a>. Rival airlines rushed to <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/infrastructure\/4552024\/airlines-help-spirit-if-operations-cease\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/infrastructure\/4552024\/airlines-help-spirit-if-operations-cease\/\">fill the void<\/a> left by the now-defunct airline.<\/p>\n<p>United Airlines, American Airlines, and Frontier Airlines were among the first to offer assistance to customers ahead of Spirit\u2019s anticipated shutdown time. JetBlue took its response one step further by expanding its presence in the cities where Spirit once had a foothold.<\/p>\n<p>JetBlue added 11 new nonstop flight routes originating from the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, formerly Spirit\u2019s primary hub. Six destination cities were new for JetBlue, while the other five had already been serviced by the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/analysis-jetblue-spirit-brace-for-tough-regulatory-review\/\" title=\"Analysis: ..., ... brace for tough regulatory review\">low-cost airline<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The move marks JetBlue\u2019s return to Charlotte, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/north-carolina\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"552\">North Carolina<\/a>, where it ceased operations in 2024 due to low demand.<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, JetBlue began offering stranded Spirit customers one-way $99 \u201crescue fares\u201d to their final destination. The offer lasts until Wednesday.<\/p>\n<p>JetBlue\u2019s response to the gap left by Spirit is notable, as the two carriers had attempted to merge. That effort was halted in 2024 when a federal judge blocked the $3.8 billion deal on <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/antitrust\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"1187\">antitrust<\/a> grounds over the Biden administration\u2019s fears of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/peter-pischke-this-time-is-different-boycott-disney-will-work\/\" title=\"Peter Pischke: This Time Is Different. Boycott Disney Will Work.\">higher ticket prices<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Trump officials and Republicans were quick to blame the prior administration for Spirit\u2019s collapse, arguing that it could have been prevented if the JetBlue-Spirit merger had closed. The reason for Spirit\u2019s closure, as revealed in court filings, is <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >surging oil prices caused<\/a> by the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/iran\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"100\">Iran<\/a> war.<\/p>\n<p>In the two years since the failed merger, Spirit was put in a financial bind. The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy twice in less than a year, between November 2024 and August 2025, before its eventual demise.<\/p>\n<p>Negotiations between Spirit and the federal government failed to prevent the airline\u2019s shutdown. President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"4\">Donald Trump<\/a> indicated he was <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4551485\/trump-final-proposal-spirit-airlines-shut-down\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4551485\/trump-final-proposal-spirit-airlines-shut-down\/\">committed to bailing out<\/a> the company in the hours leading up to its final flights, but no deal came.<\/p>\n<p>Besides Florida, the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/department-of-transportation\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"2527\">Transportation Department<\/a> has been providing relief to Spirit passengers over the weekend by capping ticket prices so that low-income customers could afford them and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/saudi-court-jails-womens-rights-activist-posing-challenge-for-biden\/\" title=\"Saudi court jails women\u2019s rights activist, posing challenge for Biden\">offering support<\/a> to jobless workers. Major U.S. carriers also began granting \u201cpreferential employment interviews\u201d to Spirit team members, the department said.<\/p>\n<p>On Monday, Spirit employees gathered in solidarity at the company\u2019s now-shuttered headquarters near the airport in Fort Lauderdale. James Fishback, a Republican running for governor of Florida, visited the corporate campus to speak with those affected by the mass layoff.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/business\/4553778\/spirit-airlines-byron-york\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/business\/4553778\/spirit-airlines-byron-york\/\">SPIRIT AIRLINES WASN\u2019T \u2018DESTINED TO PROSPER\u2019: BYRON YORK<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Like Transportation Secretary <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/sean-duffy\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"2286\">Sean Duffy<\/a> and other Republicans, Fishback directly blamed the Biden administration for killing the JetBlue-Spirit merger.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cToday, I met with Spirit employees at their shuttered Fort Lauderdale headquarters,\u201d he <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/j_fishback\/status\/2051412816385495197\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/x.com\/j_fishback\/status\/2051412816385495197\">posted on X<\/a>. \u201cSpirit\u2019s bankruptcy was entirely avoidable. In 2023, JetBlue tried to merge with Spirit to save the company. Biden sued to kill the deal. Government interference cost these workers everything.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Florida helps former Spirit staff after weekend shutdown crisis<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2159,"featured_media":2598977,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/AP26122607951865_7d7582.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[5113,45215,45214],"class_list":["post-2598976","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-florida","tag-jetblue","tag-spirit-airlines"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/AP26122607951865_7d7582.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2598976","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2159"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2598976"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2598976\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2598980,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2598976\/revisions\/2598980"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2598977"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2598976"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2598976"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2598976"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}