Trump wants do-over of failed airline fantasy — at taxpayers' expense
Hemorrhaging cash and in bankruptcy court, Spirit Airlines is on the brink of liquidation. The nation’s largest budget airline has been struggling for years and has been forced to drastically downsize by selling planes and cutting routes. With the federal government reportedly close to stepping in with a $500 million bailout plan, Trump apparently wants to buy it outright and run it.
The president does, after all, have experience with bankrupt airlines. Nearly 40 years ago, he ran one into the ground. Between 1989 and 1992, he owned the Trump Shuttle, which ran routes between New York, Boston and Washington. He bought the fleet from Eastern Airlines as it was going out of business and immediately rebranded it from business-oriented flights to a luxury airline, retrofitting it with gold-plated fixtures in the lavatories and offering free champagne and steak dinners.
The president does, after all, have experience with bankrupt airlines. Nearly 40 years ago, he ran one into the ground. Between 1989 and 1992, he owned the Trump Shuttle, which ran routes between New York, Boston and Washington. He bought the fleet from Eastern Airlines as it was going out of business and immediately rebranded it from business-oriented flights to a luxury airline, retrofitting it with gold-plated fixtures in the lavatories and offering free champagne and steak dinners.