Spirit Airlines will end its newly restarted flights between Atlantic City and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, after Friday, May 3. The decision comes less than two weeks after the route resumed, as the airline faces financial troubles and is in its second bankruptcy in less than a year.

According to the South Jersey Transportation Authority, Spirit has "revised their May schedule and removed ACY to MYR after May third," leaving only Florida destinations from the Atlantic City International Airport. The authority confirmed the last flight on the route will be Friday, May 3. Spirit has served Atlantic City since 1992, making it the airport’s longest-tenured airline, but it recently closed its crew base there and canceled other routes as well.

The airline’s decision to cut the route follows ongoing talks with the federal government for a possible $500 million bailout package. The Trump administration confirmed negotiations are underway, which could involve the government taking an equity stake in Spirit to help keep the company afloat. President Donald Trump told CNBC, “Spirit’s in trouble, and I’d love somebody to buy Spirit. It’s 14,000 jobs, and maybe the federal government should help that one out.” According to a statement from White House Senior Deputy Press Secretary Kush Desai, “The Trump administration continues to monitor the situation and overall health of the U.S. aviation industry that millions of Americans rely on every day for essential travel and their livelihoods.”

Spirit’s financial struggles have been made worse by rising fuel costs, a failed merger attempt with JetBlue blocked by a federal judge, and increased competition. Last week, Bloomberg and The Wall Street Journal reported that Spirit could face liquidation if a rescue deal is not reached. The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, which represents Spirit’s cabin crews, said, "The last thing our economy needs is tens of thousands more people out of work and the last thing the travelling public needs is fewer choices in air travel."

Not everyone supports a government bailout for Spirit. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy expressed skepticism, saying, "What we don’t want to do is put good money after bad, and there’s been a lot of money thrown at Spirit, and they haven’t found their way into profitability." Senator Ted Cruz also criticized the idea, calling it a "terrible idea" on social media.

Meanwhile, other airlines are increasing their presence at Atlantic City International Airport. Allegiant Air has already started flights, and Breeze Airways is set to begin service on Monday, May 6.

With the future of Spirit uncertain, travelers using Atlantic City International Airport may need to look to other carriers for connections to destinations like Myrtle Beach. The final terms of any rescue deal and the future of Spirit’s operations remain unresolved.

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