World
Spirit Airlines collapses after 34 years, stranding passengers and employees
Spirit Airlines, the leading U.S. budget carrier, has formally ceased operations after 34 years, leaving 17,000 employees jobless and thousands of passengers stranded. The collapse followed failed talks with the Trump administration over a $500 million bailout, triggered by soaring fuel costs from the U.S.-Israel war in Iran. The airline had filed for bankruptcy twice before and could not survive a massive fuel price spike.