Spirit Airlines files for bankruptcy protection

The airline's woes deepened after the collapse of its $3.8 billion planned merger with JetBlue Airways in January and the impact of RTX's Pratt & Whitney Geared Turbofan (GTF) engines snag that has grounded many of its aircraft. Spirit, recognized for its bright yellow livery, had been losing money despite strong travel demand, as it struggled with bloated costs. Spirit started out as a long-haul trucking company in 1964 before shifting to aviation around 1983.