United CEO Scott Kirby said Tuesday that the airline will not seek to acquire Spirit’s assets if the ultra-low-cost carrier ultimately goes out of business.
Kirby told Reuters in an interview that Spirit’s airport slots and routes don’t make sense for United. He noted that it would be expensive and time-consuming to absorb and reconfigure Spirit’s fleet, with a likely cost of $15 million per aircraft.
The United CEO also cited a lack of available gates in some of Spirit’s main markets, like Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
“It’s not in our wheelhouse,” Kirby said. “And so we’re not going to try to do that.”
Kirby is a vocal detractor of the business model used by ultra-low-cost airlines and has ramped up his criticism of Spirit since the airline filed for bankruptcy for a second time last month. Spirit has hit back on social media and through statements, calling his attacks an “obsession.”
Spirit is critically short on cash and has warned investors that it may not survive the year as a going concern, though its leadership insists it is making changes that will return the airline to profitability.
Earlier this month, United announced plans to expand service at some of its hub locations, including Chicago, Houston, and Los Angeles, in case Spirit “suddenly goes out of business.” That expansion, which also includes new routes between Newark, New Jersey, and Columbia, South Carolina, and Chattanooga, Tennessee, is set to start in January 2026.
