JetBlue primed to purchase Spirit Airlines following shareholder approval


Spirit Airlines shareholders have approved a $3.8 billion takeover by JetBlue Airways, in a deal that looks primed to create the fifth-largest airline in the United States.
Spirit made the announcement in a Wednesday press release, with more than 50 percent of the stock owners voting to approve the deal. The merger must now go through the final regulatory steps, and Spirit said they expect the transaction to close "no later than the first half of 2024."
JetBlue first made the multi-billion, total-cash offer for Spirit earlier this year, and the two came to a preliminary agreement in July following a series of hostile negotiations. Spirit was also in talks to merge with Frontier Airlines in a cash-and-stock deal that fell apart following JetBlue's offer.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
JetBlue is planning to eliminate the Spirit brand following the takeover, CNBC reported, with the outlet noting how Spirit's low-cost airfares and minimal frills contrast with JetBlue's higher-end service and business-class offerings. JetBlue is reportedly planning to retrofit Spirit's planes to more closely resemble its own.
However, the transaction is likely to face heavy scrutiny from antitrust regulators. The Biden administration has argued against these types of megadeals, saying they are harmful to consumer spending. Biden and his legal team have made significant efforts to try and tone down corporate mergers, though they've often had little success in court.
JetBlue and Spirit have denied breaking any antitrust laws, and said they look forward to continuing their work with federal regulators.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Justin Klawans has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022. He began his career covering local news before joining Newsweek as a breaking news reporter, where he wrote about politics, national and global affairs, business, crime, sports, film, television and other news. Justin has also freelanced for outlets including Collider and United Press International.
-
The fertility crisis: can Trump make America breed again?
Talking Point The self-styled 'fertilisation president', has been soliciting ideas on how to get Americans to have more babies
-
The fall of Saigon
The Explainer Fifty years ago the US made its final, humiliating exit from Vietnam
-
Codeword: May 11, 2025
The Week's daily codeword puzzle
-
Exurbs: America's biggest housing trend you haven't heard of
Under the Radar Northeastern exurbs were the nation's biggest housing markets in 2024
-
Visa wants to let AI make credit card purchases for you
The Explainer The program will allow you to set a budget and let AI learn from your shopping preferences
-
A newly created gasoline giant in the Americas could change the industry landscape
The Explainer Sunoco and Parkland are two of the biggest fuel suppliers in the US and Canada, respectively
-
Warren Buffet announces surprise retirement
speed read At the annual meeting of Berkshire Hathaway, the billionaire investor named Vice Chairman Greg Abel his replacement
-
Trump calls Amazon's Bezos over tariff display
Speed Read The president was not happy with reports that Amazon would list the added cost from tariffs alongside product prices
-
What is the job market's future after Trump's tariffs?
Talking Points Economic analysts are split on what the tariffs could mean for employees
-
Markets notch worst quarter in years as new tariffs loom
Speed Read The S&P 500 is on track for its worst month since 2022 as investors brace for Trump's tariffs
-
Discount stores were thriving. How did they stumble?
The Explainer Blame Walmart — and inflation