This airline is leaving Phoenix Sky Harbor with final flight in 2026. Here’s why

1,800 Spirit flight attendants face turbulence in bankruptcy shakeup

Spirit Airlines plans to furlough about 1,800 flight attendants as part of cost-cutting efforts during its second bankruptcy in under a year.

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• Spirit Airlines will cease operations at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport after January 8, 2026.
• Spirit’s departure comes months after filing for bankruptcy.
• Passengers with affected travel plans will be contacted by the airline regarding their options.

A beleaguered budget airline is exiting Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, just months after its leaders warned it was at risk of shutting down and filed for bankruptcy a second time.

Spirit Airlines confirmed in a statement to The Arizona Republic that it would stop flying out of Phoenix after Jan. 8, 2026. It is one of four U.S. airports that it plans to discontinue service from in the new year, also ending flights out of Milwaukee, Rochester and St. Louis.

Spirit’s presence at Sky Harbor has been more limited in recent years, and it only has two nonstop flights out of the airport — Detroit and Fort Lauderdale.

Here’s what travelers should know about Spirit Airlines suspending service from Phoenix.

Why is Spirit Airlines leaving Phoenix Sky Harbor?

In a statement to The Republic, Spirit Airlines said the decision to leave Phoenix is “part of our efforts to better position the airline for the future … to better align with our smaller operating fleet and focus on our strongest performing markets.”

Spirit had a limited presence at Sky Harbor compared to its closest budget competitor, Frontier Airlines, which has a crew base at the airport. Today, Spirit offers just two nonstop routes: Detroit and Fort Lauderdale.

Spirit flew just 113,613 passengers from January-September 2025; Frontier flew nearly 15 times more people in that same time, about 1.7 million passengers. Spirit’s year-to-date passenger traffic is about a third of the 314,540 people it flew in the first nine months of 2024.

Is Spirit Airlines going bankrupt?

Spirit’s planned exit from Sky Harbor was announced about three months after the airline disclosed in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing that it doubted whether it could fulfill its financial obligations as part of the terms of its bankruptcy.

Despite emerging from bankruptcy protection and its rebranding efforts, Spirit saw weak demand for leisure travel during the spring and early summer of 2025 and an “elevated” number of available seats on flights. This resulted in what Spirit described in the SEC filing as “a challenging pricing environment.”

Spirit said it took measures to address its challenges, including introducing a premium economy fare class and furloughing 270 pilots. Future efforts to meet its obligations may include selling certain aircraft, real estate and excess airport gate capacity, Spirit stated in SEC documents.

There is no guarantee those efforts will keep the airline in business.

“Management has concluded there is substantial doubt as to (Spirit)’s ability to continue … within 12 months from the date these financial statements are issued,” the filing stated.

What happens if I booked a Spirit flight from Phoenix?

The statement from Spirit reads that any passengers whose travel plans are affected by its exit from Phoenix will be contacted to notify them of their options, including receiving refunds.

Can you still fly to Detroit or Fort Lauderdale from Phoenix?

Spirit’s departure does not mean the end of nonstop service to the cities it serves.

American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Delta Air Lines and Frontier Airlines all offer nonstop flights between Phoenix and Detroit. New nonstop service to Fort Lauderdale will be available via JetBlue Airways and a new American route that starts on Dec. 18.

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Michael Salerno is an award-winning journalist who’s covered travel and tourism since 2014. His work as The Arizona Republic’s consumer travel reporter aims to help readers navigate the stresses of traveling and get the best value for their money on their vacations. He can be reached at Michael.Salerno@gannett.com.

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