JetBlue agrees to buy Spirit for $3.8 billion
The agreement would create the nation’s fifth-largest airline, with a fleet of 458 aircraft.
Airlines
Articles
With Frontier deal dead, Spirit ponders sale to JetBlue
Spirit Airlines and Frontier Airlines agreed Wednesday to abandon their merger proposal, opening the way for JetBlue Airways to acquire Spirit after a months-long bidding war for the budget carrier.
Summer travel is boosting airlines’ bottom lines as ticket prices rise
Strong demand for travel is giving U.S. airlines a financial boost as the industry battles through reduced flight schedules, higher fuel and labor costs, and concerns about the effects inflation could have on consumer spending, airlines officials said this week.
Vote on Spirit, Frontier merger is postponed, again
At issue is a competing bid for Spirit from another budget airline, JetBlue, which is offering about $1 billion more for Spirit.
Flight cancellations ease slightly as July 4 weekend ends
In the U.S., the rate of cancellations over the last two weeks is up 59% from the same period in 2019, before the pandemic, likely due to a combination of weather, staffing shortages and air-traffic issues.
July Fourth travelers face thousands of flight delays, cancellations
More than 2,800 flights within, into or out of the United States were delayed as of Saturday afternoon, according to the flight-tracking website FlightAware.
All eyes on airlines as July Fourth holiday weekend nears
Airlines that have stumbled badly over the last two holidays face their biggest test yet of whether they can handle big crowds when July Fourth travelers mob the nation’s airports this weekend.
Flight cancellations stressing weary travelers as July 4 approaches
Pandemic-era problems that hobbled the national air system as it struggled to regain footing last summer have not abated, despite pledges from airline executives of a renewed focus on reliability.
Airlines aim to shift blame for ongoing flight problems to FAA
Criticism of the government agency could serve as a pre-emptive defense in case airlines again suffer thousands of canceled and delayed flights over the holiday weekend.
Pilots in line for big raises amid global travel disruptions
The largest pilots union has approved a contract that would boost the pay of pilots at United Airlines by more than 14% over the next 18 months, potentially clearing the way for similar wage hikes throughout the industry.
Pilots picket as airline unions leverage summer travel woes
The protest, which the union said drew up to 1,300 Southwest Airlines pilots, was the latest example of airline workers trying to put pressure on companies by taking their demands for higher pay directly to the flying public.
JetBlue raises offer again in bidding for Spirit Airlines
Shareholders of Miramar, Florida-based Spirit are scheduled to vote June 30 on a bid from Frontier Airlines, and JetBlue is trying to convince investors to scuttle the agreement and drive Spirit into JetBlue’s arms.
Worldwide airline industry predicts profit in 2023, defying slowdown
While most carriers are enjoying bumper sales as customers flood back following the lifting of COVID curbs, taking leisure trips and catching up with friends and family, there are doubts about how long the surge will continue as high fuel prices push airlines to hike fares.
Buttigieg: U.S. might act against airlines on consumers’ behalf
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said his department could take enforcement action against airlines that fail to meet consumer-protection standards, although he thinks that won’t be necessary.
Airlines cancel hundreds of flights for second straight day
By midmorning in the eastern United States, airlines had scrubbed more than 1,000 flights after canceling more than 1,700 on Thursday, according to tracking service FlightAware.
Hundreds of flight cancellations create tough travel day across the U.S.
Airlines are struggling with shortages of workers, especially pilots, that are hurting their ability to operate all their planned flights.
Bidding war for Spirit Airlines heats up ahead of vote
JetBlue said Monday that it will now provide a $350 million reverse break-up payable to Spirit if a deal between the two isn’t completed for antitrust reasons.
Canceled flights mar first weekend of summer for travelers
U.S. airlines canceled more than 2,800 flights from Thursday through Monday, or about 2% of their schedules, according to tracking service FlightAware.
JetBlue launches hostile takeover bid for Spirit Airlines
Analysts say a merger of any of the two carriers could create an airline with the scale and routes to more effectively compete with the nation’s four largest air carriers.
TSA expanding use of screeners to help at busy airports
The chief of the Transportation Security Administration said Tuesday that his agency has quadrupled the number of employees who could bolster screening operations at airports that become too crowded this summer.