The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has granted the transfer to JetBlue of the former Spirit Airlines' 22 slots at New York's LaGuardia Airport, according to a notice in the Federal Register. JetBlue in July won an auction for the defunct carrier's slots with a bid of $58.5 million.
FAA granted an exemption to an order originally published in December 2006 that prohibits the transfer of slots at LaGuardia on the condition that JetBlue not lease or trade any of the 22 slots to any carrier until after April 2028.
"Spirit ceased all passenger operations on May 2, 2026, and began a wind-down and liquidation," according to the Federal Register notice. "Based on the unique circumstances of this case, FAA granted relief from the use-or-lose requirement to allow Spirit to continue holding the slots and pursue an appropriate sale via the bankruptcy process—subject to further review and approval by FAA."
FAA also waived for JetBlue through April 2027 its requirement that carriers must use LaGuardia slots at least 80 percent of the time or risk forfeiting their rights, to allow the airline to begin service in new markets and add service to existing markets.