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WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — <\/span>Cash-strapped Spirit Airlines appeared closer to a shutdown after Friday came and went without a needed government bailout.<\/p>\n President Donald Trump said Friday that his administration had given the budget carrier a \u201cfinal proposal\u201d for a taxpayer-funded takeover<\/a> to keep it from going under, but the absence of a deal put the airline’s future in doubt.<\/p>\n A person familiar with the matter said preparations were being made for a Saturday shutdown. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to disclose confidential information. There was no immediate word from Spirit Airlines or the Trump administration.<\/p>\n Trump floated the idea<\/a> of a bailout last week after the airline found itself in bankruptcy proceedings for the second time in less than two years with jet fuel prices<\/a> soaring because of the Iran war<\/a>. About 17,000 jobs could be impacted by a shutdown, Spirit lawyer Marshall Huebner said. <\/p>\n Spirit has struggled financially since the COVID-19 pandemic, weighed down by rising operating costs and growing debt. By the time it filed for Chapter 11 protection<\/a> in November 2024, Spirit had lost more than $2.5 billion since the start of 2020. <\/p>\n The budget carrier sought bankruptcy protection again in August 2025<\/a>, when it reported having $8.1 billion in debts and $8.6 billion in assets, according to court filings.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n