Spirit Airlines Didn’t Crash — It Was Taken Down

This story originally appeared in Matt Stoller’s newsletter BIG, where he explores the politics of monopoly power.

Spirit Airlines is liquidating, laying off its staff and canceling all operations, after the Trump administration failed to negotiate a bailout with Spirit’s creditors. It’s awful for travelers, who have to rebook flights, and it’s worse for the 17,000 employees of the airline, who are now jobless. It’s an important moment, as the shocks from the Iran war start to hit our corporate infrastructure. It’s also an important political moment, because the narrative over Spirit’s demise is now a political football for different factions.

So let’s ask the question: Why did Spirit Airlines fail?

Donald Trump And The Iran War

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