Frontier is making an offer to acquire the beleaguered Spirit Airlines, which filed for bankruptcy in November.

Rather than accept Frontier’s offer, Spirit said it will stick to its current plan to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

Spirit, which filed for bankruptcy protection last year, says it has rejected the new Frontier overture but would be open to a higher offer.

Denver-based Frontier Airlines says it’s ready to keep talking after bankrupt Spirit Airlines rejected its offer to merge.

Frontier tried to merge with Spirit in 2022 but was outbid by JetBlue. However, the Justice Department sued to block the $3.8 billion JetBlue deal, saying it would drive up prices for Spirit customers who depend on low fares, and a federal judge agreed in January. JetBlue and Spirit dropped their merger bid two months later.

Spirit filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in November 2024, six months after a proposed merger with JetBlue collapsed.

Frontier Airlines took another swing at joining forces with Spirit Airlines. In a statement on Wednesday, Jan. 29, Frontier officials say a merger would allow Spirit to escape from bankruptcy. Spirit is not interested and rejected the offer saying it was too low.

Frontier Airlines is making another offer to merge with bankrupt Spirit Airlines, less than two years after a previous plan fell through.

Frontier Airlines is attempting for a second time to merge with the now bankrupt Spirit Airlines, which declared bankruptcy late last year as budget airlines struggle.

Frontier Airlines is attempting for a second time to merge with the now bankrupt Spirit Airlines, which declared bankruptcy late last year as budget airlines struggle.

Amidst ongoing restructuring under Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings, Spirit Airlines might be considering reigniting a merger with a low-cost rival airline (via The Points Guy ).