Court documents reveal that JetBlue Airways has won the bidding for Spirit Airlines’ slots at LaGuardia Airport in New York for $58.5 million.
Frontier Airlines came in second with a bid of $57.5 million.
Spirit Airlines has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection twice and has ceased commercial flights. The auctioned slots at the busy and tightly regulated LaGuardia Airport include 12 daily departure slots and 10 arrival slots. Earlier this year, Spirit Airlines’ bankruptcy reorganization plan was stalled due to rising fuel costs, leading to forced closures.
JetBlue Airways stated on Monday (July 20) that it is evaluating plans to increase up to 12 round-trip flights to LaGuardia Airport in 2027. Data from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) shows that JetBlue Airways currently holds 31 slots at LaGuardia Airport, while Frontier Airlines has 4.
Spirit Airlines will seek court approval for the sale at a bankruptcy court hearing in White Plains, New York on Wednesday.
The FAA imposes restrictions on the total number of flights at three busy airports in the United States, namely LaGuardia Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport, and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
(This article is based on a report from Reuters.)