JetBlue Wins Spirit Airlines’ LaGuardia Airport Slots
JetBlue has won the bankruptcy auction for Spirit Airlines’ takeoff and landing slots at New York’s LaGuardia Airport, beating out Frontier Airlines with a $58.5 million bid. The acquisition gives JetBlue access to 22 slots, enough to operate up to 12 additional daily round-trip flights, pending court and regulatory approval.
The slots became available after Spirit ceased operations earlier this year, making them some of the airline’s most valuable remaining assets. Because the FAA strictly limits access at LaGuardia, new slots rarely become available, making this a significant opportunity for JetBlue to expand at one of the country’s most constrained airports.
JetBlue said it is still evaluating how it will use the slots and does not expect to launch additional service until 2027. The airline also plans to move its LaGuardia operation back to Terminal A (the Marine Air Terminal), where Spirit had previously operated.
