After Spirit collapse, Duffy says there's no need for government budget airline bailout

Sean Duffy, US secretary of transportation, during a news conference in Terminal A at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) in Newark, New Jersey, US, on Monday, Nov. 24, 2025. Victor J. Blue | Bloomberg | U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on Saturday he does not think the government needs to bail out low-cost airlines that have sought $2.5 billion in government relief because of high jet fuel prices, following the collapse of Spirit Airlines . "At this point, I don't think it's necessary. They do have access to cash. If they want to come to the U.S. government, we would be a lender of last resort. If they can find dollars in the private markets — I think that's better for them," Duffy said at a press conference at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey. He said the prospect of a Spirit bailout was seen by some other airlines as an opportunity to get money "not necessarily based on need, but based on opportunity." On Monday, a group of U.S. budget airlines, including Frontier and Avelo, said it had proposed exchanging warrants convertible into equity ​stakes for $2.5 billion in U.S. government assistance. …