FAA clears JetBlue to take 22 Spirit slots at LaGuardia

The Federal Aviation Administration has cleared JetBlue and Spirit Airlines to complete a transfer of 22 operating slots at LaGuardia Airport, removing a regulatory obstacle while restricting how JetBlue can use or transfer them. The exemption took effect October 8, 2026.

JetBlue may not lease or trade the slots to another carrier until after April 2028. The FAA also waived minimum-use requirements through April 2027, giving JetBlue time to start service in new markets or add service in markets it already serves. The exemption authorizes the transaction; it does not establish that the slots have been transferred or that JetBlue has begun using them for flights.

Conditions on the LaGuardia slots

The slots are operating authorizations at an airport where scheduled operations are limited by an FAA order. The agency’s exemption allows the transfer to proceed beyond the duration of that order. After the restriction period, any lease or trade would still require FAA approval and remain subject to the operating order. A further sale would require additional regulatory relief.

The minimum-use waiver and the restriction on leasing or trading serve different purposes. The waiver gives JetBlue more time to put the slots into service; it does not remove the longer restriction on transferring them to another carrier. The FAA retains authority over the slots and may withdraw them for non-use or when it determines that doing so is in the public interest.

The FAA said the transfer itself will not increase the number of operations at LaGuardia. Instead, the agency described the slots as returning to active commercial service. The notice does not identify routes, flight schedules or fares, so it does not establish when travelers might see JetBlue flights using the slots or what destinations they would serve.

Bankruptcy auction drew competing views

Spirit ceased passenger operations on May 2, 2026, according to the FAA notice. JetBlue was the successful bidder for the slots in Spirit’s bankruptcy auction, and the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York approved the transfer on July 22, subject to necessary regulatory approvals. Aviation Week reported a purchase price of $58.5 million and said JetBlue outbid Frontier Airlines by $1 million.

The FAA said it received 11 comments from nine commenters, with six supporting or not opposing the transfer. Two individuals argued that the slots should go to an ultra-low-cost or discount carrier, including Frontier. Some commenters also sought a requirement that any future transfer go to an ultra-low-cost carrier.

The Port Authority supported the transfer but favored requiring JetBlue to operate the slots for five years before leasing or trading them. The FAA instead barred leasing or trading until after April 2028. The agency said it was not required to decide whether the transaction offered the greatest public benefit or to evaluate alternative transfers. It reasoned that JetBlue would remain below 5% of LaGuardia slot holdings and that the transfer would strengthen its competitive position.

The FAA’s action supplies the regulatory approval described in the bankruptcy court’s order, allowing the parties to complete the transaction under the exemption’s conditions. The FAA notice does not set a completion date. Until the transfer is completed and JetBlue puts the slots to use, the authorization alone does not establish a change in flight service for LaGuardia travelers.