Spirit Airlines CEO on carrier's collapse: 'We just kind of ran out of runway'

A Spirit Airlines plane sits parked at Hollywood Burbank Airport on April 16, 2026 in Burbank, California. Justin Sullivan | Getty Images Spirit Airlines struggled for years, battered by larger, cash-rich airlines that copied its business model, failed mergers , higher costs and, most recently, a surge in jet fuel prices because of the war in Iran. It then faced the most unforgiving foe: time. "We just kind of ran out of runway," CEO Dave Davis said in an interview with CNBC on Monday. …