A Hempfield couple’s quick three-day trip to Myrtle Beach turned into a headache Saturday after learning their flight home was canceled in the fallout of Spirit Airlines’ abrupt closure.
Michelle and Cody Henderson traveled to South Carolina on Thursday from Pittsburgh International Airport, intending to make some repairs to rental properties they own and look at options for expanding their healthcare staffing agency.
“We fly Spirit always,” Michelle Henderson said, adding that they usually leave from Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in Unity, where Spirit was the only commercial carrier until Saturday’s announcement. “It’s upsetting.”
They were scrambling Saturday for an option to get home as intended on Sunday, whether that meant another airline or renting a car.
After weeks of speculation about the future and a proposed government bailout, Spirit Airlines announced early Saturday that operations would end immediately.
That likely means a workforce reduction at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport, officials said Saturday, and a blow to the local economy, as well as to would-be passengers who had flights booked.
Westmoreland County Airport Authority Executive Director Moe Haas, on his second day on the job, said talks are continuing with other air carriers as the airport is undergoing a $22 million terminal expansion project. Those negotiations have been ongoing for years in an effort to have another carrier serve the airport, though nothing has been announced.
“It’s been going good, there’s progress,” he said. “We have some good information coming in and we’re going through the right process.”
Low-cost carrier Spirit came to Westmoreland County with great fanfare in 2011 at a time when no commercial operators utilized the airport. The airline initially flew to Myrtle Beach and Fort Lauderdale in Florida before expanding service.
But prior to Saturday’s announcement, Spirit flew only to Myrtle Beach out of the Unity airport, though plans were announced last month to resume service to Orlando, Fla. in September.
Passenger totals reached a high of nearly 356,000 in 2015 and remained fairly steady over the next four years until the 2020 coronavirus pandemic drastically reduced travel.
In the years after, Spirit’s financial difficulties, coupled with equipment and personnel issues, saw the airline reduce flights across the United States, including service cuts in Westmoreland County.
The number of passengers using the facility has been dropping since at least 2023. Last year 119,379 passengers went through the gates at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport, the fewest number since 2011.
“The impact will be felt not just from the airport, but the economic impact,” said Westmoreland County Commissioner Sean Kertes.
Westmoreland County directs $2.6 million annually to the airport’s operations and to pay off debt. Revenue is based, in part, on the number of passengers who fly into and out of the facility and fees paid by Spirit.
Haas said 28 full-time staff remained on authority payroll after the 2026 budget was revised to account for fewer flights. There are also TSA agents assigned to the airport.
It was unclear how many workers would be affected.
“While not unexpected, this is a big blow to our airport and our economy,” said Commissioner Ted Kopas, who shared sympathy for those who may lose their job and others who have trips planned. “It definitely makes the effort to recruit a new carrier all the more urgent.”
The closure comes as a $22 million terminal expansion project at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport is winding down.
Officials were hopeful the first phase of the project to double the terminal’s size could help attract a second airline to the Unity airport. The renovations will allow the airport to handle 400 passengers and two flights at once. The work was paid for primarily with federal and state grants.
Optimism that another carrier will take over for Spirit remains, and Commissioner Doug Chew said any airport authority employees who lose jobs could be needed in the future.
“While Spirit’s demise is disappointing, and I feel for the customers left in the lurch, I remain confident in our airport,” he said, adding that officials are in discussions with two other carriers.
Lindsey Robertson of Murrysville is hopeful, too.
Her family and a friend traveled to Myrtle Beach on Thursday to celebrate her daughter’s 16th birthday. With their flight to Arnold Palmer Regional Airport on Sunday canceled, Robertson said she quickly lined up a rental van to get all five of them home.
The family switches between the Pittsburgh and Unity airports when they fly on Spirit, but prefers Arnold Palmer Regional, Robertson said.
“I hope someone else picks it up, I really do,” she said.
Charter flights, private air travel and flight school operations will continue to fly out of the airport.
The abrupt closure sent travelers with ties to the area scrambling from afar.
Justin Stone of Lower Burrell started looking at flight options on Friday night after spending the day at Disney World in Orlando, Fla. and seeing rumors online about Spirit’s demise. He and his wife woke up at 3 a.m. Saturday to log into their Spirit accounts only to learn the bad news.
They immediately booked a new, pricier flight on a different carrier, and now will spend an extra day in Florida celebrating two of their daughters’ birthdays before getting back to Pittsburgh International.
It was a surprise to him that the closure happened so quickly. For the Stone family, it may mean fewer trips south as they used frequent flyer miles to pay for this weekend’s trip, he said.
Michaela Reinauer of South Greensburg had to dispute the airfare charge with her bank because she used an online booking site to get a Spirit flight from Pittsburgh to Florida for a family vacation.
She was able on Saturday to line up a different flight home next week, but said she’ll be waiting for awhile to get that original payment back, adding that others might not have the same resources or options.
“(Spirit) sent me here and just said ‘good luck,’” Reinauer said.
Spirit carried about 3.5% of passengers who travel from Pittsburgh International and was the sixth largest carrier at the airport, officials said. All three of Spirit’s destinations from Pittsburgh are also served by other carriers.
Spirit said on its website Saturday that all flights have been canceled and customer service is no longer available. Refunds would be processed. Compensation for customers who used trip credit or flyer points will be decided through the bankruptcy process, according to Spirit’s website.
Other air carriers were jumping in to help customers get to their destinations.
A proposed government bailout to help the cash-strapped business apparently failed.
The idea was floated by President Donald Trump, The Associated Press reported, after the airline found itself contending with skyrocketing jet fuel prices because of the war in Iran.
The carrier sought Chapter 11 protection in November 2024, and again in August 2025.
Spirit Airlines employed about 17,000 workers.