JetBlue launches new Fort Lauderdale flights after Spirit shutdown
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · May 9
JetBlue launches new Fort Lauderdale flights after Spirit shutdown
10 articles · Updated · The New York Times · May 9
The airline moved within hours of Spirit’s closure last weekend, adding more than two dozen services at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport to capture stranded passengers.
JetBlue is trying to make Spirit’s home airport a new business pillar as it seeks growth after years of losses and struggles to compete with larger US carriers.
Its operating costs rose nearly 29% from 2019 to 2025 while revenue increased 13%, and the carrier has lost money every year since 2019 with about $8.5bn in debt.
Did regulators' move to block the JetBlue-Spirit merger inadvertently lead to higher fares and less competition?
Can a high-cost airline like JetBlue profit on routes that just bankrupted a low-cost carrier?