Spirit Airlines announced it is suspending 11 routes as it tries to consolidate amid financial difficulties.

Flights servicing Albuquerque, New Mexico (ABQ), Birmingham, Alabama (BHM), Boise, Idaho (BOI), Chattanooga, Tennessee (CHA), Columbia, South Carolina (CAE), Oakland, California (OAK), Portland, Oregon (PDX), Sacramento, California (SMF), Salt Lake City (SLC), San Diego (SAN) and San Jose, California (SJC) will be permanently suspended on Oct. 2.

Additionally, the company stated it is no longer moving forward with plans to launch service at Middle Georgia Regional Airport, which was set to begin on Oct. 16.

"We apologize to our guests for any inconvenience this may cause and will reach out to those with affected reservations to notify them of their options, including a refund," the airline said in a written statement. "We are grateful to the airports, business partners and community members in these markets who welcomed and supported us."

The airline will continue to offer flights to dozens of destinations in the United States, Latin America and the Caribbean.

Spirit Airlines filed for bankruptcy in August

This development comes after Spirit Airlines filed for bankruptcy protection on Friday, Aug. 29, making it the company's second filing in less than a year. Spirit previously filed for bankruptcy in November 2024, but the company emerged from the filing by March. Since then, the company has struggled to generate sufficient funds to continue operations.

In June, the company reported a net loss of $246 million. In a quarterly filing from Aug. 11, Spirit said that while it made strides in satisfying debt obligations, it continued "to be affected by adverse market conditions, including elevated domestic capacity and continued weak demand for domestic leisure travel."

Additionally, the company said in the filing that there is "substantial doubt as to the company’s ability to continue as a going concern within 12 months from the date these financial statements are issued."

In July, Spirit announced it would be furloughing 270 pilots, beginning Nov. 1.

Company leaders are currently focused on generating more cash, which could come from selling aircraft, real estate and airport gate capacity, according to the most recent bankruptcy filing.

How are Spirit Airlines' rivals reacting?

Spirit's rivals appear poised to pounce on any gaps in the market left by the airline.

Last month, Frontier announced it would be adding 20 new routes, many of which are based in Spirit hubs, including in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The other new routes will fly from Detroit, Houston, Baltimore, Dallas and Charlotte, North Carolina.

"As industry capacity adjusts, we want to ensure consumers in those markets continue to have affordable flight options," Barry Biffle, CEO of Frontier Airlines, said in a statement.

On Thursday, Sept. 4, United revealed it would be adding daily additional routes between Houston and Orlando, Las Vegas, New Orleans, Atlanta, Baltimore and Miami, Chicago and Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, New Orleans and Las Vegas, in addition to flights between Newark/New York and Orlando and Fort Lauderdale, and Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

The company also announced two new routes between Newark/New York and Columbia, South Carolina and Chattanooga, Tennessee.

New international flights between Houston and Guatemala City, Guatemala and San Salvador, El Salvador and one weekly flight between Houston and San Pedro Sula, Honduras, are scheduled to begin soon.

In a news release, Patrick Quayle, United’s senior vice president of Global Network Planning and Alliances, said the new routes were announced in the event "Spirit suddenly goes out of business."

"It will be incredibly disruptive," Quayle said. "So we're adding these flights to give their customers other options if they want or need them."

In response to Quayle’s statement, Duncan Dee, Spirit’s senior vice president of corporate communications, told USA TODAY in an email on Thursday, Sept. 4: "While we appreciate the obsession certain airline executives have with us, we’re focused on competing and running a great operation."

"Suggesting anything else is wishful thinking on the part of a high-cost airline looking to eliminate a low-cost competitor so they can fulfill their ultimate goal of charging American travelers the highest fares possible to visit the people and places they love," Dee continued.

He added: "Spirit is responsible for making low fares available to consumers for more than 30 years, whether they fly with us or not. We have every expectation to continue doing so for many years to come."

Michelle Del Rey is a trending news reporter at USA TODAY. Reach her at mdelrey@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Spirit Airlines cancels 11 routes amid bankruptcy woes. See shuttered flights.

Reporting by Michelle Del Rey , USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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