President Donald Trump on Tuesday suggested that the federal government could help keep a struggling Spirit Airlines afloat, while also encouraging a buyer to step in and rescue the budget carrier.
“Spirit’s in trouble and I’d love somebody to buy Spirit. It’s 14,000 jobs,” Trump said in a CNBC interview. “And maybe the federal government should help that one out.”
The ultra low-cost carrier filed for bankruptcy protection in August for the second time in less than a year and was aiming to exit in late spring or early summer after striking a preliminary deal with lenders. That plan was quickly disrupted when U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran sent oil prices soaring above $100 a barrel, with jet fuel costs doubling in…