Latest / The Acquisition Talk with Fexingo: Mergers, Buyouts, and Business Sales for Operators
How the FTC Blocked the JetBlue Spirit Merger
Lucas and Luna break down the FTC's successful lawsuit to block JetBlue's $3.8 billion acquisition of Spirit Airlines, announced in 2022 and ultimately abandoned in March 2024. They explore the government's novel argument that the deal would hurt the ultra-low-cost segment, even in a concentrated industry. Specific focus on how the DOJ's victory in the JetBlue-American Airlines alliance case set the precedent, and what this means for future airline consolidation. Lucas offers a data point: Spirit's cost per available seat mile is 6.5 cents versus JetBlue's 10.5…
The skinny
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