CHARLOTTE — Spirit Airlines may be just hours away from shutting down, according to a new report from The Wall Street Journal.
The paper reported Friday night that Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick agreed the airline had run out of options to secure the bailout funding it needed to continue operating.
The Journal said Spirit could cease operations as early as 3 a.m. Saturday.
At Charlotte Douglas International Airport, several Spirit flights continued to land Friday evening, including one scheduled to arrive around midnight that could become the airline’s final flight into Charlotte.
Passengers told Channel 9 they were unaware of the potential shutdown until they reached the airport.
ABC News has reported in recent weeks that Spirit was nearing the point of running out of the cash required to operate. The airline filed for bankruptcy for the second time last year.
Charlotte Douglas officials say Spirit averages eight flights a day at the airport and carried more than one million passengers in and out of Charlotte last year.
Multiple airlines, including American Airlines, Charlotte Douglas’ largest carrier, said they are prepared to assist stranded Spirit passengers if the shutdown happens.
American said it plans to implement fare caps on main‑cabin tickets for routes where it offers nonstop service.
Spirit has not yet issued an official announcement.
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