JetBlue has secured the majority of flight slots previously held by the defunct Spirit Airlines at LaGuardia Airport (LGA) in New York City. The airline announced in an internal memo on Monday that it has acquired 12 of the 18 daily slot pairs left vacant by Spirit’s collapse, effectively allowing JetBlue to nearly double its operations at the highly constrained facility.
LaGuardia is designated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as a Level 3 slot-controlled airport, meaning access is strictly regulated to prevent congestion and significant flight delays. Because infrastructure expansion is limited, airlines must acquire specific takeoff and landing slots to operate new services. Prior to this acquisition, JetBlue operated approximately 13 daily slot pairs at the airport.
The acquisition remains subject to final approval by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in New York and federal regulators. JetBlue has stated that it does not intend to utilize the additional slots until 2027. Following the expansion, the airline plans to relocate its operations to the airport’s historic Terminal A, also known as the Marine Air Terminal, a space JetBlue occupied years ago before moving to a larger facility.
This strategic move comes despite JetBlue’s recent announcement that it would reduce its maintenance staffing footprint at LaGuardia and Newark Liberty International Airport to prioritize growth at its Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport hub. FAA administrator Bryan Bedford previously indicated that the agency would favor transferring these assets to low-cost carriers to maintain competition and public utility, though the remaining six slot pairs have yet to be awarded to a carrier.