On Saturday, Spirit Airlines, a financially troubled airline, ceased business. Simultaneously with that cessation, critics of the Trump Administration blamed the Iran conflict, while the administration blamed the airline’s failure on the Biden Administration.  

Unfortunately, like many other issues, the airline’s failure was politicized. Blaming political opponents frequently obscures reality and merely divides America rather than fostering an understanding of what truly went wrong. 

To fully comprehend the situation, one must look at the long, troubled history of Spirit Airlines. 

The airline was originally a trucking company that began shipping cargo via air. In 1983, it became a charter airline that flew tour groups to entertainment destinations. 

In 1992, it adopted the Spirit Airlines name and upgraded its fleet. In 2007, it expanded significantly as a low-cost airline attempting to emulate the success of Southwest Airlines. 

The airline was plagued with numerous operational issues and a year later it laid off a significant portion of its workforce. Its pilots were the lowest paid in the industry and in 2009 the pilots went on strike. 

After settling that strike, the airline also successfully negotiated with other unions and operated successfully........

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