JetBlue wins Spirit slots at LaGuardia, considers moving terminals

JetBlue Airlines He won space for Spirit Airlines at New York’s LaGuardia Airport and is considering moving back to the failed budget airline’s former home; It’s a major change at the congested airport less than three months after the discount store collapsed in the biggest U.S. airline failure in decades.

JetBlue said the slots at the tightly controlled airport are for 12 round-trip flights and are still subject to final court and regulatory approvals.

Slots and gates at congested airports like LaGuardia are valuable because tight airspace restrictions and crowded airports in a major city like New York limit airline growth.

Because the infrastructure is so limited, carriers have in some cases turned to using larger aircraft that can accommodate more passengers to increase their capacity.

JetBlue told staff on Monday that it is now turning to “evaluating our plans for slots as we evaluate opportunities for our network strategy,” noting that no expansion would occur until 2027, in a memo seen by CNBC.

According to the memo, JetBlue wants to move into Terminal A, also known as the Marine Air Terminal, an Art Deco facility where Spirit operated until it closed in early May. JetBlue operated out of this area before moving to a newer terminal years ago.

“This is a convenient terminal that travelers love,” JetBlue said of the Marine Air Terminal.

The New York-based airline, which is in the midst of a major expansion at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida, said last month it would reduce its staff footprint at LaGuardia and Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey and increase service in Fort Lauderdale.

The carrier did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Spirit’s airport assets are currently going through U.S. Bankruptcy Court in New York.