JetBlue grabs Spirit’s LaGuardia slots as terminal fight heats up
JetBlue won rights for up to 12 daily round trips at LaGuardia and is weighing a return to the Marine Air Terminal, CNBC reported.
By Sal Moretti · Money Reporter
3 min read
JetBlue has landed a coveted piece of New York airport real estate: Spirit Airlines’ former takeoff and landing slots at LaGuardia Airport, CNBC reported.
The award covers slots for up to 12 round-trip flights at the tightly controlled airport, JetBlue said, though the deal still needs final approval from a court and regulators. The move comes less than three months after Spirit shut down in May, in what CNBC described as the biggest U.S. airline failure in decades.
At LaGuardia, slots are more than calendar space. CNBC reported that they are a scarce growth tool at an airport hemmed in by packed terminals, busy runways and restrictions on New York’s crowded airspace.
JetBlue is also studying a possible return to Terminal A, better known as the Marine Air Terminal, according to a Monday staff note seen by CNBC. Spirit used the Art Deco terminal until its shutdown in early May, while JetBlue operated from the building in earlier years before moving to a newer terminal.
“It’s a convenient terminal travelers love,” JetBlue told employees in the note, according to CNBC.
A slow return, if it happens
JetBlue told staff it is “evaluating” plans for the slots as it looks at opportunities in its route network, CNBC reported. The airline also told employees that any expansion tied to the slots would not happen until 2027.
The timing gives JetBlue room to sort through approvals and airport planning while Spirit’s remaining airport assets move through U.S. Bankruptcy Court in New York, CNBC reported.
The reshuffle lands at a tense moment for airlines trying to grow in New York. CNBC reported that space limits at airports such as LaGuardia have pushed carriers in some cases to use larger aircraft, adding seats without adding more flights.
That squeeze helps explain why Spirit’s slots drew attention after the budget carrier shut down. Gates and slots at airports such as LaGuardia can determine whether an airline can add service in one of the country’s busiest travel markets.
JetBlue looks south, too
The LaGuardia development comes while JetBlue is making other changes to its network. CNBC reported that the New York-based airline said last month it would reduce its staffing footprint at LaGuardia and Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey.
At the same time, JetBlue has been expanding at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida, CNBC reported. The airline’s plans in South Florida have become a larger focus as it adjusts its presence in the New York area.
CNBC reported that JetBlue did not immediately respond to a request for comment beyond the staff note and its statement that the slots remain subject to final approvals.
For now, the prize is clear: a dozen possible daily round trips at one of the toughest airports in America to break into, plus a potential homecoming to a terminal JetBlue knows well.
This story draws on original reporting from CNBC.