- FAA tentatively approved JetBlue’s purchase of 22 former Spirit slot pairs at LaGuardia for $58.5 million.
- Leasing or trading stays barred until after April 2028, and an outright sale is permanently prohibited.
- The FAA will publish the notice on August 31, 2026, followed by a 20-day public comment period.
The Federal Aviation Administration has tentatively approved JetBlue’s purchase of 22 former Spirit Airlines slot pairs at LaGuardia for $58.5 million, while proposing limits on how the carrier can use or transfer them. Leasing or trading would remain barred until after April 2028, and an outright sale would be permanently prohibited.
The restrictions would keep the capacity tied to the carrier’s own flights rather than allowing it to profit from transfers. The proposed terms focus on service.
The package contains 12 departure slots and 10 arrival slots. During the protected period, the carrier could operate the LaGuardia slots itself, but could not monetize them by reselling or leasing them.
The Federal Aviation Administration, or FAA, is also retaining control over the authorizations. It could withdraw the slots for nonuse or if it decides that withdrawal serves the public interest.
The notice is scheduled for official publication on August 31, 2026. A 20-day public comment period will open after publication.
The proposal therefore gives the carrier time to prepare flights while keeping the agency’s control intact. The restrictions are intended to preserve competition and direct the slots toward active service.
The proposal separates service rights from resale rights
| Proposed condition | Effect on the slots |
|---|---|
| Leasing or trading | Barred until after April 2028 |
| Outright sale | Permanently prohibited |
| Use-or-lose requirements | Waived through April 2027 |
| FAA authority | Withdrawal possible for nonuse or public interest |
The temporary waiver removes the use-or-lose requirement through April 2027. That gives the carrier time to integrate the slots, allocate aircraft and crews, and open ticket sales for new flights.
The waiver does not eliminate the agency’s withdrawal authority. The slots remain subject to possible removal if they go unused or if the FAA determines that withdrawal serves the public interest.
The governing framework dates to an FAA order first published in December 2006. It treats LaGuardia operating rights as authorizations that carriers may lease or trade, while prohibiting them from buying and selling those rights outright.
The proposed terms preserve that permanent ban on outright sales and add a time-limited bar on leasing or trading for this transaction. After the protected period, the carrier’s ability to transfer the slots would still operate within the FAA’s existing framework.
The proposed arrangement leaves the carrier responsible for building schedules around the authorizations before that waiver ends. Aircraft assignments, crew allocation and ticket sales are part of the preparation period covered by the proposal.
The leasing and trading restriction continues until after April 2028. The permanent prohibition on an outright sale remains in place under the proposed conditions.
