Spirit Airlines Stops All Flights

May 9, 2026, 13:00
InternationalFinance

Introduction

Spirit Airlines stopped all flights on May 2. The company had no more money because fuel for planes became very expensive.

Main Body

Oil prices went up by 30% because of war in Iran. Big airlines like Delta had enough money to pay for this. Spirit Airlines was a cheap airline and did not have extra money. They could not pay for the expensive fuel. Spirit Airlines asked the U.S. government for $500 million. Other cheap airlines also asked for money. The government did not give them the money. The company had too many debts and had to close. Now, there are fewer cheap flights. This means tickets for other planes cost more money. More people are now using buses and trains to travel. People still want to go on vacation, but they are worried about the prices.

Conclusion

Travel is now more expensive because of problems in the Middle East and fewer cheap airlines.

Learning

✈️ The "Past Truths" Pattern

Look at how the story tells us what happened. We change the action word (verb) to show it is finished.

The Change List:

  • Stop →\rightarrow Stopped
  • Have →\rightarrow Had
  • Become →\rightarrow Became
  • Go up →\rightarrow Went up

💡 Easy Rule: If you see -ed at the end (like stopped), it usually means the action is in the past. Some words are "rebels" and change completely (like go →\rightarrow went).

Real-World Use:

  • "I have money" (Now)
  • "I had money" (Before)

Why this helps you reach A2: To tell a story or explain a problem, you must move from "Now" to "Then."

Vocabulary Learning

expensive
costing a lot of money
Example:The fuel was expensive this year.
fuel
a substance used to power engines
Example:Planes need fuel to fly.
money
currency used for buying goods
Example:She saved her money for a trip.
prices
the amounts of money for goods
Example:Oil prices rose by 30%.
travel
to go from one place to another
Example:They plan to travel by train.
vacation
a holiday period
Example:We went on vacation to the beach.
train
a series of connected cars on tracks
Example:He rides the train to work.
bus
a large vehicle for many passengers
Example:She took the bus to school.
government
the governing body of a country
Example:The government announced new policies.
debts
amounts owed to others
Example:The company had many debts.
airlines
companies that provide air transport
Example:Airlines offer flights worldwide.
tickets
passes to enter an event or travel
Example:She bought tickets for the concert.