I'm LongbridgeAI, I can summarize articles.Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent criticized Sen. Elizabeth Warren and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg for the collapse of Spirit Airlines, attributing it to the Biden administration's opposition to the JetBlue merger. He argued that blocking the $3.8 billion takeover left Spirit vulnerable, leading to its operational halt. Warren countered that the merger was deemed illegal by a federal judge and cited Spirit's financial issues and rising fuel costs as key factors in its failure. The airline's shutdown has disrupted numerous routes and triggered a wave of discounted fares from competitors.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent blamed Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg for Spirit Aviation Holdings Inc’s (OTC:FLYYQ) collapse, arguing Sunday that Biden-era opposition to JetBlue Airways Corp’s (NASDAQ:JBLU) proposed $3.8 billion takeover stripped the ultra-low-cost carrier of a potential financial lifeline before it halted operations.
Bessent Blames Blocked JetBlue Merger
Speaking on Fox News' "Sunday Morning Futures," Bessent said Warren's September 2022 letter opposing the JetBlue-Spirit deal helped push regulators against the merger. He also criticized Buttigieg, calling him "the worst transportation secretary in history when he came to the office," and said the Biden administration's stance left Spirit less resilient. A federal judge blocked the deal in January 2024, ruling it would violate antitrust law and hurt fare-conscious travelers.
Bessent repeated the argument on X. "Had Spirit Airlines been allowed to merge with Jet Blue, it would have given them much more resiliency," he wrote, adding that Warren, Buttigieg and Biden administration allies left "dozens of regional airports" facing lost service and "thousands of jobs" at risk.
Had Spirit Airlines been allowed to merge with Jet Blue, it would have given them much more resiliency.
— Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent (@SecScottBessent) May 3, 2026
Thanks to @SenWarren, @PeteButtigieg, and all of their friends in the Biden Administration who backed their enthusiastic opposition to the Spirit-Jet Blue merger, dozens of… pic.twitter.com/JhtKcAEnFu
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Warren Points To Court And Fuel Costs
Warren had already pushed back Saturday, saying politicians did not block the deal. She noted that a federal judge ruled the merger illegal and argued Spirit's failure stemmed from the carrier's weak finances and surging fuel costs.
Spirit's shutdown triggered disruption across U.S., Caribbean and Latin American routes. Reuters reported on Sunday that the airline had nearly completed customer refunds after abruptly canceling flights, while rival carriers offered discounted fares to stranded passengers. Spirit had scheduled more than 4,000 flights through May 15 before suspending operations.
Duffy Calls Merger Opposition Massive Mistake
Spirit executives and industry analysts also pointed to jet fuel as a breaking point. CEO Dave Davis cited a "sudden and sustained rise in fuel prices," while GasBuddy analyst Patrick De Haan said Spirit's restructuring assumed jet fuel near $2.24 a gallon in 2026, far below late-April levels near $4.51.
STRAIT STINGS SPIRIT… Spirit Airlines begins ‘wind-down', cancels all flights over fuel crisis… Spirit's restructuring plan assumed jet fuel costs of about $2.24 a gallon in 2026 and $2.14 in 2027, but prices had climbed to about $4.51 a gallon by the end of April.
— Patrick De Haan (@GasBuddyGuy) May 2, 2026
The airline was already burdened by debt, had filed for bankruptcy before, and failed to secure a proposed $500 million government bailout after lender resistance.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy also backed Bessent on Sunday, calling opposition to the Spirit-Jet-Blue merger a "massive mistake."
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