Spirit Airlines to sell its 22 New York LaGuardia slots
The Points Guy • • business
Key Points:
- Spirit Airlines' 22 slots at LaGuardia Airport, valued at nearly $87 million, will be auctioned on July 9 as part of its bankruptcy estate, with the highest and best bid winning court approval before use.
- These slots translate to about 12 daily flights, offering a significant opportunity for competitors to increase capacity at the restricted New York City airport, potentially by fall.
- Major airlines including American, Frontier, JetBlue, Southwest, and others have expressed interest in acquiring assets from Spirit, though no explicit bids for the LGA slots have been announced.
- FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford favors a budget airline acquiring the slots, while Delta may face antitrust issues if it attempts to purchase them; United has ruled out participation in consolidation.
- Spirit operated from Terminal A (Marine Air Terminal) at LGA, which is currently closed; the Port Authority plans to preserve and upgrade the terminal and can reassign its six gates as needed.