Spirit Airlines

As the terms of a bailout for Spirit are being finalized, President Donald Trump said on Thursday he was interested in the U.S. buying the airline and selling it for a profit once oil prices drop.

Spirit's collapse didn't happen overnight: A blocked merger, two bankruptcies, a bailout that never came. Four years of mounting problems, and in the end, it was fuel prices that sealed it.

The Trump administration is nearing a deal to bail out Spirit, which would provide the embattled ultra-low-cost carrier a lifeline after facing the possibility of liquidation.

It is unclear if the federal government would actually give Spirit a bailout. Trump signaled earlier that he thinks “maybe” the federal government should help.

Other airlines — including United and JetBlue — could benefit in markets like Fort Lauderdale.

Spirit is set to emerge from its second Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the late spring or early summer. Post-bankruptcy, it is looking to expand premium seats and shift focus to routes with high-demand.

Right before spring break, Spirit is bringing back some flight attendants to work after furloughing around 1,800 flight attendants last year.

New Frontier CEO James Dempsey wants to take the carrier back to its low-cost roots, saying that saving on costs will lead Frontier to a more sustainable path.

The U.S. has become the hardest place in the world to run a ULCC, and only highly focused models are surviving.

After merger talks with Frontier stalled, Spirit is now looking to Castlelake for another way out of Chapter 11 bankruptcy.