Those visiting Harry Reid International Airport may be surprised to see Spirit Airlines' bright yellow Airbus A320 jets parked along the Terminal 1 A Gates. 

The airline, which ceased operations last weekend after 34 years, is under the guidance of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, and the Clark County Department of Aviation can't move the planes unless the court approves.

Meanwhile, Reid Airport staff are quickly eliminating Spirit's signage and other mentions of the failed airline from what had been one of its busier locations.

There were warning signs before Spirit abruptly declared that it was shutting down in the middle of the night Saturday — the ultralow-cost airline could not negotiate a government bailout from the Trump administration.

More than 17,000 Spirit employees nationwide were left jobless, including 999 workers in Nevada. The vast majority were flight crew members — 772 flight attendants and 149 pilots (captains and first officers). Unions representing pilots, flight attendants and airline personnel moved quickly to provide help to their members. 

"We have been through a relentlessly stressful two years, through a failed merger, multiple furloughs, two bankruptcies and concessionary bargaining," former Spirit Capt. Ryan Muller, who is the airline's representative with the Air Line Pilots Association International, said in a statement. "We held up our end and did everything we possibly could. This is not a reflection of our pilot group's effort, professionalism, or commitment."

He added that the union is working to find "soft landing opportunities" for his fellow pilots.

On Thursday, the Nevada Department of Employment, Training, and Rehabilitation (DETR) hosted two "Rapid Response" events in Las Vegas and Reno to assist laid-off Spirit employees with support and job placement resources. 

Spirit had been the Las Vegas airport's second-busiest air carrier up until its bankruptcy filing last year, when its fortunes fell dramatically. 

The bankruptcy reorganization caused Spirit's overall passenger count in Las Vegas to decline 42 percent in 2025 to 4.6 million passengers. Spirit fell out of Reid's top five carrier rankings last October. In the first three months of 2026, Spirit's passenger count at Reid Airport was down 72 percent.  

Former competitors stepped up during the past five days to help displaced travelers whose flights were either canceled or counted on Spirit for long-term travel needs. Southwest, Allegiant, Frontier and other air carriers had already been filling the void left by Spirit in the 16 direct markets — including Reno, Los Angeles, Atlanta and Houston — the airline served from Reid Airport before it ceased operations.

Clark County Department of Aviation spokeswoman Amanda Mazzagatti said Spirit's former markets are served by at least one airline, and sometimes as many as four.

"In many cases, airlines independently adjust route gaps when service is discontinued, or by expanding existing service," Mazzagatti said. "If demand supports additional capacity, it is likely another airline will enter the market, or an existing carrier will increase frequency."

Southwest Airlines, which accounted for almost 40 percent of Reid Airport's 54.9 million passengers in 2025, said it would add nonstop service to 10 markets not previously connected by the airline. The additional flights should all be operational by spring 2027. 

Allegiant Airlines Vice President Kristen Schilling-Gonzales said in an interview that Spirit's former passengers want to know what their low-cost options are with other airlines. She said Allegiant is exploring routes that had been part of Spirit's business to and from Las Vegas, factoring in overlap with other airlines and markets.

"Spirit flew from Las Vegas to Detroit. We fly to nearby Flint, Michigan," Shilling-Gonzales said. "Instead of Orlando International, which is a major airport, we fly to Orlando Sanford, which is smaller and nearby."

On Thursday, Frontier announced a new discount travel program, including waiving the enrollment fee, for former Spirit customers who join the airline's reward program.

"We recognize the challenges consumers are currently facing as they navigate the cancellation of their planned travel," Frontier Chief Commercial Officer Bobby Schroeter said in a statement.

Spirit also served the Reno-Tahoe International Airport from Las Vegas and Los Angeles. Airport spokeswoman Jennifer O'Hara wrote in an email that both routes continue to be served by other airlines, including Southwest.

"Looking ahead, our summer outlook remains strong; overall seat capacity is currently trending above last year, even after accounting for the removal of Spirit's flights," O'Hara wrote. She added that new routes are at the discretion of the airlines.

Southwest spokesman Chris Perry said in an email that the airline's summer schedule in June and July includes a high of as many as 13 trips between Las Vegas and Reno weekly.

According to DETR, Spirit's layoffs were the state's largest single-employer shutdown since July 2024, when The Mirage terminated 3,350 employees as it began its transition into the Hard Rock Las Vegas.

Before Spirit's closure, DETR communications director Valentina Bonaparte said the state was given notice of roughly 300 job losses from the air transportation industry this year. 

"It's still smaller than the number of claims we see on a regular basis from larger industries in the state," Bonaparte said, adding the state has roughly 17,000 jobs in the air transportation industry.