Spirit Airlines is pulling out of two major cities and slashing dozens of routes as it works to cut costs and simplify its operations amid financial woes.

On Oct. 31, the budget carrier will end service from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) and Hartford’s Bradley International Airport (BDL), executives revealed Friday in a note to staff viewed by TPG.

And, starting in November the airline will suspend service on around 40 routes — about a quarter of its network.

Those cuts that had been expected after the company in August entered chapter 11 bankruptcy restructuring for the second time in less than a year, and faced an immediate need to cut costs as concerns swirl about its financial outlook.

“While we previously reduced our presence at these airports, these decisions were still difficult, and we are incredibly grateful for our team members and partners at both stations,” Spirit Chief Commercial Officer Rana Ghosh wrote to employees Friday.

FAQ: Spirit Airlines’ bankruptcy and how it might affect your travel

Spirit currently operates in Hartford with nonstop service this fall to Detroit, Myrtle Beach, Nashville and Fort Lauderdale.

The carrier has a smaller network out of MSP, where it flies to Detroit and Atlanta.

The airline did not immediately share the full list of routes it planned to trim from its schedule in November.

But those cutbacks come after the airline already axed close to a dozen flights earlier this fall, before warning more cutbacks would be coming.

They also come just days afte the airline revealed it would furlough about a third of its flight attendants, reports said.

In a possible silver lining, Ghosh on Friday told the company that the carrier did not expect exit any additional airports in the near future.

It’s been a tumultuous year for Spirit, with two bankruptcy filings, significant debt and mounting concerns about the ultra-low-cost carrier’s future.

Competitors have taken notice of the airline’s shrinking flying schedule.

United Airlines and top budget competitor Frontier Airlines have both added a host of routes this month currently served by Spirit.

And, JetBlue has significantly grown its footprint at Spirit’s Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) home base, citing suddenly-available gate space at the busy South Florida airport.

Even prior to the cuts outlined Friday, Spirit’s total number of flights during the fourth quarter of 2025 were set to be down by more than 20% over last year, according to data from aviation analytics firm Cirium.

In Friday’s note to staff, executives cited “necessary changes” the company had made to “best position our airline for the future.”

Related reading:

Spirit Airlines will end service to 11 cities in October as it begins the hard work of overhauling its route map in bankruptcy.

The Dania Beach, Fla.-based airline will end service to the following cities during the week of Oct. 2, 2025, a spokesperson confirmed:

• Albuquerque International Sunport (ABQ) in New Mexico
• Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport (BHM) in Alabama
• Boise Airport (BOI)
• Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport (CHA) in Tennessee
• Columbia Metropolitan Airport (CAE) in South Carolina
• Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport (OAK)
• Portland International Airport (PDX) in Oregon
• Sacramento International Airport (SMF)
• Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC)
• San Diego International Airport (SAN)
• San Jose Mineta International Airport (SJC) in California

Spirit also suspended plans to add Middle Georgia Regional Airport (MCN) in Macon, Georgia, to its map on Oct. 16.

The cuts come days after Spirit filed for its second Chapter 11 bankruptcy restructuring in less than a year. The airline plans to shed planes, shrink its network and cut costs in the hopes of returning to profitability.

“Spirit is redesigning its network to focus its flying on key markets to provide more destinations, frequencies and enhanced connectivity in certain of its focus cities, while simultaneously reducing its presence in certain other cities,” Fred Cromer, chief financial officer of Spirit, said in a statement filed with the court on Sunday.

Robert Milton, chairman of Spirit’s board of directors, told The Wall Street Journal that the carrier plans to refocus its map on key airports, including Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL), Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) and Orlando International Airport (MCO).

The 12 airports cut from Spirit’s map in October represent 3.9% of the airline’s total seats that month, schedule data from aviation analytics firm Cirium shows.

Las Vegas’ Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) will lose the most routes with the cuts, saying goodbye to eight nonstops, schedules show. FLL will lose four routes.

Many industry analysts expect further cuts at Spirit as it “significantly,” as Cromer put it, shrinks its fleet.

The airline operated 214 Airbus A320-family aircraft when it filed for bankruptcy on Aug. 28. However, only around 157 planes are in service, Cromer said.

Passengers booked on a canceled flight would be entitled to a refund under U.S. Department of Transportation policy.

Related reading: