Spirit Airlines

JetBlue has won the battle for Spirit, paving the way for a merger that will produce a challenger to the US Big Four.

The agreements will provide in excess of 600 weekly connections for its transatlantic routes.

If Spirit and JetBlue do eventually agree on the terms of a transaction, they will still need shareholder approval as well as antitrust approval from the U.S. Justice Department.

The move follows two new crew bases opened by the carrier this summer.

The postponement is the latest sign that a competing bid from JetBlue is gaining traction among a critical mass of stockholders.

The carrier beat out JetBlue Airways and Alaska Airlines for the runway timings.

Spirit Airlines will also serve Boise for the first time this summer.

JetBlue Airways upgraded its proposal for Spirit Airlines again as the tit-for-tat bidding war with Frontier Airlines heated up ahead of a June 30 shareholder vote.

The airport, located just outside of New York City, has long been plagued by congestion and operational issues.

JetBlue Airways sweetened the terms of its bid to acquire Spirit Airlines, part of an effort to win over Spirit’s shareholders ahead of a fast approaching vote on whether to merge with Frontier Airlines.

Spirit Airlines believes some pent-up demand exists in its international markets due to the U.S. inbound testing requirements for COVID-19.

Spirit Airlines CEO Ted Christie is reiterating his firm opposition to the hostile takeover effort initiated by JetBlue Airways, describing it as a “cynical” attempt to disrupt Spirit’s planned merger with Frontier Airlines.

Executives at Spirit Airlines reiterated their opposition to the merger proposal from JetBlue Airways and urged shareholders to approve the competing bid from Frontier Airlines at an upcoming shareholder vote.

Plans to establish North America’s first mega-ULCC remain in place.

Routes details the latest new route announcements, as well as the services returning to carriers’ networks

Manchester-Boston Regional’s Ted Kitchens discusses the impact of the airport’s first new airline partner in 17 years and how it is working to reduce leakage to nearby Boston International.

The carrier has significantly lowered its guidance for full-year capacity versus 2019.

What happens next depends on a combination of Frontier’s reaction—whether it makes a counteroffer—and how the Spirit board of directors judges the tradeoffs between a relatively safer merger with Frontier, and the prospect of a perhaps more ambitious future with JetBlue.

JetBlue has firmed up plans to enter the Boston-London market at the same time as making an unsolicited $3.6 billion bid for Spirit Airlines.

JetBlue's offer complicates plans by Frontier Airlines to merge with Spirit before the end of 2022.

The ULCC plans to offer 24 departures from the airport on peak days this summer.

The carrier has five route launches planned from Las Vegas over the next five months.

The ULCC has not opened a new San Diego service in five years.

Merger partner Frontier Airlines already has crew bases at both airports.

The carrier, which has long flown to Mexico’s beaches, will start service to Monterrey.