JetBlue acquires Spirit slots at LaGuardia Airlines, considers terminal relocation

jet blue airlines The airline has acquired Spirit Airlines slots at New York’s LaGuardia Airport, aiming to return to the bankrupt low-cost carrier’s former home. Major personnel changes have taken place at the busy airport less than three months after the discounter collapsed in the biggest U.S. airline bankruptcy in decades.

JetBlue said the tightly controlled airport will have 12 round-trip slots, subject to final approval from courts and regulators.

Slots and gates are at a premium at busy airports like LaGuardia, as tight airspace restrictions limit airline growth at busy airports in large cities like New York.

With very limited infrastructure, airlines are turning to larger planes that can carry more passengers, in some cases to increase capacity.

In a Monday memo seen by CNBC, JetBlue told staff it is now moving to “evaluate slot plans while considering network strategy opportunities,” noting that expansion will not occur until 2027.

JetBlue wants to move to Terminal A, also known as Marine Air Terminal, the Art Deco-style facility that Spirit operated until it closed in early May, according to the memo. JetBlue operated out of the space until moving to a new terminal several years ago.

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

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

The airline did not respond to requests for comment.

Spirit’s airport assets are currently in federal bankruptcy court in New York.