JetBlue to take over Spirit Airlines' former departure and arrival time slots at LaGuardia

JetBlue won an auction to take over Spirit Airlines’ former departure and arrival time slots at LaGuardia Airport, according to bankruptcy court documents.

The Long Island City-based airline "secured a package of takeoff and landing slots formerly controlled by Spirit Airlines for up to 12 daily roundtrips," a JetBlue spokesperson said in a statement emailed to Newsday. The Southern District of New York Bankruptcy Court and the Federal Aviation Administration must both approve the transfer of the slots.

"We’re currently evaluating how best to utilize these slots as we consider opportunities to bring more of JetBlue’s competitive, customer-focused service to New York," the spokesperson said. "We expect any expansion at LGA related to these slots would start in 2027."

Spirit ceased operating on May 2 after filing for bankruptcy. The low-cost airline was the sole tenant of the airport's Terminal A, also known as its historic Marine Air Terminal.

In an emailed statement, Halimah Elmariah, a spokesperson for the Port Authority, which oversees LaGuardia, said the agency is "pleased the auction has concluded and looks forward to working with JetBlue as it expands its operations at LaGuardia."

"The Port Authority remains committed to the long-term future of Terminal A, and plans to move forward with preserving the landmarked Marine Air Terminal while dramatically upgrading the attached non-landmarked 1980s-era concourse and boarding area," Elmariah said in the statement.

Neither the Port Authority nor JetBlue explicitly stated the airline — which has its main hub at Kennedy Airport and also operates out of LaGuardia’s Terminal B — would take over Spirit’s former physical footprint inside LaGuardia’s Terminal A.

"Spirit previously occupied the airport’s Marine Air Terminal, and we’ve expressed our interest to move our operation there," JetBlue said in a statement. "We’ll continue to work with the Port Authority on this possibility, which could bring us much needed cost savings that would support expansion of JetBlue’s awarding-winning, low-fare service at LGA."

During an auction held Thursday and Friday, Spirit received seven bids for its 10 arrival and 12 departure slots at LaGuardia, according to court documents. JetBlue was the winning bidder at $58.5 million, followed by Frontier, which bid $57.5 million and is listed as the alternate bidder.

Attorneys representing JetBlue and Spirit did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment.