JetBlue has several plans in place in the event of a Spirit shutdown, executives said earlier this week. These plans are particularly focused on the carrier’s Fort Lauderdale, Florida, hub, but could include other markets.
Spirit is currently the largest airline in Fort Lauderdale with a nearly 30% market share, while JetBlue is the airport’s No. 2 carrier at 19%.
“… We do have multiple plans in place depending on the outcome of Fort Lauderdale and Spirit,” JetBlue’s CEO, Joanna Geraghty, said during an earnings call on Tuesday. “So we’re ready for a number of scenarios to ensure that customers are protected and that we bring the JetBlue product and the offering to more folks in South Florida and beyond.”
Spirit’s second-quarter capacity in Fort Lauderdale is expected to be down 15% compared to the same period in 2024, according to data from Cirium Diio.
Other airlines have added capacity in the South Florida market as the bankrupt ultra-low-cost carrier has scaled back, though JetBlue doesn’t expect any meaningful upsides.
“I mean, obviously, the rumors are out there. I think that there’s certainly probably more rumors than they have airplanes, but I don’t think there’s any upside for us to try to make any assumptions on that,” added Marty St. George, JetBlue’s president, during the call.
Second Bankruptcy Continues
In August, Spirit filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy for the second time in less than a year. Its back-to-back bankruptcy filings followed a slew of failed merger attempts, including with JetBlue.
Now, Castlelake has emerged as a new buyer for the ultra-low-cost carrier after renewed merger talks with Frontier reportedly fell through.
The airline is still working through its second bankruptcy filing, while shedding employees and aircraft. It has also pulled out of 18 destinations.
