Spirit Airlines files for bankruptcy
Spirit Airlines has filed for bankruptcy protection, citing rising losses, heavy debt, and increased competition in the budget travel market.
unbranded – Newsworthy
Discount carrier Spirit Airlines will end its service to and from Rochester in early 2026, airport officials announced.
Andy Moore, director of the Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport on Thursday, Nov. 7 confirmed the change. The airline is set to end its service to and from Rochester two months from now – ending on Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026, he said.
The change, Moore said, was the result of the airline’s recent Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing. The airline filed for bankruptcy for second time in less than a year in August.
The Florida-based carrier, which emerged from its first bankruptcy in March, in turn plans to end operations in several airports around the country – including Rochester. Spirit Airlines confirmed that the company adjusted its 2026 schedule to “focus on our strongest performing markets.”
As a result, the company said, it would discontinue service to/from Rochester – as well as Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Phoenix, Arizona and St. Louis, Missouri.
“While disappointed, we wish Spirit well as they address their financial situation,” Moore said Thursday in a written statement on the end of service.
Spirit began operating out of the Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport in 2022.
Full statement from Spirit Airlines
“As part of our efforts to better position the airline for the future, we have adjusted our 2026 schedule to better align with our smaller operating fleet and focus on our strongest performing markets. This includes the difficult decision to discontinue service at Milwaukee (MKE), Phoenix (PHX), Rochester (ROC) and St. Louis (STL), effective Jan. 8, 2026, and discontinue seasonal service at Bucaramanga, Colombia (BGA), effective Jan. 13, 2026. We apologize to our Guests for any inconvenience and will reach out to those with affected travel plans to notify them of their options, including a refund. Thank you to our partners and Guests in these communities for their support over the years.“
