Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., is under fire after Spirit Airlines abruptly shut down, with critics citing her claim that blocking a merger that could have saved the troubled carrier was "a Biden win for flyers."
Spirit announced early Saturday it would cease operations immediately, canceling all flights and shutting down customer service, leaving many travelers stranded. The collapse is reigniting debate over whether federal regulators got it wrong in blocking a proposed JetBlue-Spirit merger, with opponents now arguing the decision may have reduced competition and contributed to the airline’s downfall.
"I’ve warned for months that a @JetBlue-@SpiritAirlines merger would have led to fewer flights and higher fares," Warren wrote in a March 2024 post on X. "@JusticeATR and @USDOT were right to stand up for consumers and fight against runaway airline consolidation. This is a Biden win for flyers!"
Biden administration officials made similar arguments at the time. Former Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a March 2024 statement: "The Justice Department proved in court that a merger between JetBlue and Spirit would have caused tens of millions of travelers to face higher fares and fewer choices." He added: "Today’s decision by JetBlue is yet another victory for the Justice Department’s work on behalf of American consumers."
Then-Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter also framed the ruling as a win for consumers: "Our win in court is a victory for U.S. travelers who deserve lower prices and better choices."
The U.S. Department of Transportation, led by former Secretary Pete Buttigieg, also backed the decision earlier in the process. In a 2023 statement, the agency said it "fully supports the Justice Department’s lawsuit… to block the proposed JetBlue-Spirit merger," arguing the deal would "eliminat[e] the largest, most aggressive ultra-low-cost competitor" and "substantially reduc[e] competition."
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy criticized the earlier decision to block the merger.
"This merger should have been allowed," Duffy said Saturday. "This is not better for travelers. This is not better for pricing. This is not better for competition… It’s worse. We had an airline go down," Duffy said.
