At three in the morning Saturday, May 2, the ever-contracting, ever-enervating airline industry lost one of its most mocked, yet oddly reliable players: Spirit Airlines. The budget company known for its bright yellow planes, cheap tickets, and stripped-down services was officially grounded after years of financial difficulties, including two bankruptcies in 2024 and 2025.  Spirit’s demise raises plenty of questions and concerns for an industry dominated by an increasingly small number of major