October 7, 2026 — The FAA has given final approval for JetBlue to take over the 22 LaGuardia slots that belonged to Spirit Airlines, clearing the way for up to 12 more daily JetBlue round trips from the New York airport in 2027.
What happened
The FAA issued its final decision on Tuesday, October 6. JetBlue won the slots at auction from Spirit’s bankruptcy estate for $58.5 million, outbidding Frontier by $1 million. The bankruptcy court approved the sale in July, subject to regulators. Spirit stopped passenger flying in May 2026.
The approval comes with conditions. JetBlue cannot sell, lease or trade the slots until April 2028, and any later transfer needs FAA approval. The usual use-it-or-lose-it rule is waived until April 2027, giving JetBlue time to build the schedule.
The FAA turned down requests from Frontier, Breeze and the Association of Value Airlines to limit any future transfer to low-cost carriers. It also rejected the Port Authority’s request for a five-year holding period.
| Detail | Figure |
|---|---|
| Slots transferred | 22 |
| Price | $58.5 million |
| JetBlue LaGuardia slots | 31 before, 53 after |
| JetBlue share of LaGuardia | About 2.7% before, 4.6% after |
| New flying projected | Up to 12 more daily round trips in 2027 |
| No sale, lease or trade before | April 2028 |
| Use-or-lose waiver ends | April 2027 |
| Start date and routes for new flights | TBA |
FlightGlobal reports that JetBlue plans to use the slots to grow its Florida flying. Delta and American remain far larger at LaGuardia, with about 44% and 29% of winter seats respectively.
Separately, Citi raised its rating on JetBlue shares from Sell to Neutral on October 6.
What it means for travelers
- More JetBlue seats out of LaGuardia in 2027. Up to 12 extra daily round trips means more options, most likely on Florida routes.
- No change this winter. JetBlue has until April 2027 before it must use the slots, and it has not published routes or start dates.
- Spirit’s old LaGuardia seats do not come back overnight. Until JetBlue’s new flights start, New York–Florida flights stay as full as they have been since Spirit stopped flying.
- New flights often start less full. When JetBlue publishes its 2027 LaGuardia schedule, the first weeks of any added route are worth a look.
Sources
- Aviation Week — JetBlue’s Purchase Of Spirit’s LaGuardia Slots Gets FAA Approval
- PaxEx.Aero — JetBlue’s LaGuardia Growth Approved by FAA
- Investing.com — JetBlue wins final FAA approval to take over Spirit’s Laguardia slots
- FlightGlobal — FAA clears JetBlue takeover of former Spirit slots
- MarketBeat — JetBlue Airways (NASDAQ:JBLU) Stock Lifted to Neutral by Citigroup
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