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Spirit Airlines reportedly may be forced to liquidate. Here's how it could impact Arnold Palmer Regional Airport.

By Christopher DeRose

/ CBS Pittsburgh

With Spirit Airlines reportedly possibly liquidating in the near future, Arnold Palmer Regional Airport is bracing for its sole carrier of 15 years to go away.

According to the  and other news outlets, the low-cost airline could be liquidating its assets as soon as this week, citing skyrocketing fuel prices as the cause, thanks to the ongoing war in Iran.

Despite two recent bankruptcies, the Florida-based airline has operated a variety of direct flights from Arnold Palmer Regional Airport for years to destinations like South Carolina's Myrtle Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Orlando in Florida. 

As of right now, Gabe Monzo, the executive director of the Westmoreland County Airport Authority, says it hasn't heard anything from the airline about what the future of its company might be or what the future of Spirit might be in Latrobe.

"It is a situation where, ever since they went into the first bankruptcy, we started doing planning," Monzo said. "I think we are ready for it. I think we have prepared ourselves mentally for it. We certainly feel bad if Spirit does go and liquidate, but it is not the end of the world. We are as prepared as we can be."

As KDKA has reported recently, the Westmoreland County Airport Authority has been working with a consulting group to land another budget carrier, and Monzo says talks with several known airlines are going well, especially now as the airport readies to open its new, expanded terminal this summer.

But he says if Spirit goes under, there may be layoffs at the airport, at least until another airline comes in.

"If another airline chooses to come here, we have the personnel, we have the equipment," Monzo said. "None of the equipment here or any of the personnel belong to Spirit. Everything we have here belongs to the airport authority, and we specifically built it that way just so we put ourselves in position to move wherever we have to."

Monzo says that if anybody has any upcoming flights with Spirit, whether it be at Arnold Palmer or at another airport, their best course of action is to check Spirit's website for updates.

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