Oxford News
Airline goes out of business with 17,000 jobs at risk
Spirit Airlines, an upstart that shook the industry with its irreverent ads and deep discount fares, once operated hundreds of daily flights on its bright yellow planes.
The ultra-low-cost airline said it had “started an orderly wind-down of our operations, effective immediately”.
Spirit said on its website that all flights have been cancelled and customer service is no longer available.
“We are proud of the impact of our ultra-low-cost model on the industry over the last 34 years and had hoped to serve our guests for many years to come,” the announcement said.
The company advised customers that they could expect refunds, but there would be no help in booking travel on other airlines.
The shutdown was expected after Friday came and went without a needed government bailout for the cash-strapped business.
President Donald Trump said on Friday that his administration had given the budget carrier a “final proposal” for a taxpayer-funded takeover to keep it from going under, but a deal was not reached.
Mr Trump floated the idea of a bailout last week after the airline found itself in bankruptcy proceedings for the second time in less than two years, with jet fuel prices soaring because of the Iran war.
About 17,000 jobs could be impacted by a shutdown, Spirit lawyer Marshall Huebner said.
Spirit has struggled financially since the Covid-19 pandemic, weighed down by rising operating costs and growing debt.
By the time it filed for Chapter 11 protection in November 2024, Spirit had lost more than 2.5 billion dollars since the start of 2020.
The budget carrier sought bankruptcy protection again in August 2025, when it reported having 8.1 billion dollars in debts and 8.6 billion dollars in assets, according to court filings.
Supporters of a rescue, including labour unions representing Spirit’s pilots, flight attendants and ramp workers, said a collapse would put thousands of Americans out of work and hurt consumers by reducing airline competition and increasing airfares.
Budget-conscious and leisure travellers would likely feel Spirit’s absence the most, especially in places where the airline has a big footprint, such as Las Vegas and the Florida cities of Fort Lauderdale and Orlando.
The carrier flew about 1.7 million domestic passengers in February, roughly half a million fewer than during the same month a year earlier, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium.
Spirit also has sharply reduced its capacity, with about half as many seats available this month than in May 2024.
Young Sherlock, a British mystery television series, will see Hero Fiennes Tiffin return as the titular character.
A Georgian Square in Bristol is being transformed back to the Victorian era ‘Oxford’ ahead of the filming of the second series.
The series, first aired in March this year, is inspired by Andrew Lane’s Young Sherlock Holmes book series.
It was created by Matthew Parkhill and developed by Peter Harness and Guy Ritchie, who also directed two episodes.
Other main cast members returning include Dónal Finn (James Moriarty), Natascha McElhone, Max Irons, and Holly Cattle, who play Sherlock’s family members.
The series synopsis reveals: “As a 19-year-old at Oxford University, Sherlock Holmes is not yet the master detective he grows up to be.
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“He is raw and unfiltered, and he lacks discipline.
“A murder at Oxford puts Holmes’s freedom at risk, and he sets out to solve his first murder mystery that leads him to a global-level conspiracy.”
Young Sherlock received praise upon its release, and its 84% rating on Rotten Tomatoes reflects that.
The critics’ consensus on the reviewing platform reads: “Young Sherlock doesn’t aim to recreate Conan Doyle’s work; rather, it takes pride in its liberal adaptation, delivering Guy Ritchie’s signature blend of precise entertainment, sly style, and ingratiating characters.”
One critic said: “Prime Video’s Young Sherlock is sensational.
“The series, which was adapted by Matthew Parkhill, remixes the beloved figure to deliver all the traits fans know and love — with more than one twist.”
Young Sherlock is available to stream now on Amazon Prime.
Traffic was halted on the major trunk motorway at about midday on Friday, August 7, because of a serious collision.
Cars were stopped and diverted before junction 10 with Ardley heading northbound on the motorway, before junction 11 with Banbury, and drivers travelling southbound were also stopped to allow an air ambulance to land.
READ MORE: M40 closed with two hour delays due to ‘serious’ crash
Cars experienced delays in excess of two hours on the northbound approach, with six miles of congestion reported, as well as significant delays on the A34 towards the Wendlebury Interchange and junction with the M40.
Thames Valley Police has been approached for more information on what happened but has not provided a response.
The motorway had reopened by about 3pm but residual delays remained for much of the afternoon.
Thames Valley Police’s rural crime taskforce, which frequently patrols the countryside across the north of Oxfordshire, have now revealed its officers were the first on the scene.
A spokesperson said they provided ‘an immediate response and support to those invovled’ and it is understood other emergency responders subsequently attended the scene.
READ MORE: Mum jailed after teen girl beat up man, 50, hours before his death
The officers also dealt with a stolen car in Kidlington and seized a van with no insurance whose driver had no licence.
In Chieveley, the taskforce arrested a driver on suspicion of possession of class A and class B drugs and driving whilst unfit through drugs, without a licence and without insurance.
It was described as a ‘proactive day highlighting the wide range of incidents Rural Crime Taskforce officers respond to across the force area’ by the team.
Environmental charity Earth Trust shared a video of the remnants of a barbecue still smouldering and surrounded by litter and burnt wood at historic chalk beech mounds the Wittenham Clumps in South Oxfordshire.
The fire, discovered on Friday, August 8, came just a day after the charity warned people about the dangers of barbecues at the green space during the extreme drought the county is facing, as ‘a single spark could develop into a wildfire’.
READ MORE: Mum jailed after teen girl beat up man, 50, hours before his death
A spokesperson for Earth Trust said: “The reality is that one small fire could easily burn through the whole of the Clumps and Bessie’s Field grasslands.
“It could spread into the hedgerows, damage the woodlands, and cause real, lasting harm to the archaeology of Castle Hill.
“A disposable BBQ might look harmless. A few glowing embers might seem like nothing. But in dry grassland, that is all it takes.
READ MORE: Police taskforce ‘first on scene’ of crash which closed M40
“Please do not bring BBQs or light fires at the Clumps or any of our nature reserves. Take your litter home. Leave no trace.
“If you see vegetation on fire, no matter how small, call 999 immediately and ask for the fire service. Do not put yourself at risk.”
People are asked to bring picnics instead, take all litter home, leave no trace on the landscape and report any signs of fire immediately to protect the iconic landscape.
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