Low-cost carrier asked regulators to place more conditions on the future transfer of slots purchased by JetBlue.
Breeze Airways and other low-cost carriers are urging regulators to preserve competition as they consider JetBlue Airways’ purchase of slots previously owned by now-defunct Spirit Airlines.
JetBlue won the rights to 22 take-off and landing slots at New York’s LaGuardia Airport at auction in July for $58.5 million. The companies require an exemption from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to transfer those operating slots. The FAA tentatively approved the deal in August pending a standard public comment period.
Breeze, which does not operate from LaGuardia, argues that the FAA should attach more stipulations to the deal so the slots remain with a budget airline in the event that JetBlue eventually transfers them – something it can do after April 2028.
Without such restrictions, Breeze argues in comments submitted to the FAA on 18 September, it likely won’t be able to ever procure slots at the federally-limited airport.
The Association of Value Airlines echoes Breeze’s comments.
“When scarce airport capacity becomes too concentrated among the largest incumbent carriers, consumers lose both choice and the competitive pressure that helps keep air travel affordable,” it writes.
The association represents Breeze as well as Allegiant Air, Avelo Airlines and Frontier Airlines.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which had originally opposed the sale, says the slots do not automatically include intrinsic access to airport terminals and infrastructure. It is also urging regulators to place more conditions on the deal.
“Air service at LGA is a duopoly”, says the agency, citing Delta’s 42% of passenger market share and American’s 25%. “This lack of competition reduces consumer choice and increases prices.”
JetBlue carried just 3.4% of passengers at LaGuardia in 2025.
The agency also urges the FAA to extend the lock-up period from one year to five before JetBlue can trade or lease the slots, and that the slots be restricted to low-cost or incumbent competitors with less than 5% market share at the airport.
The Port Authority also recommends that regulators initiate permanent rulemaking after more than 20 years of “temporary” slot restrictions at the airport.
“The continuation of the temporary orders fails to account for improvements in operational capacity at the airport and creates conditions whereby individual slots are treated in an ad hoc manner, perpetuating their scarcity and treatment as financial assets of air carriers rather than operational management tools and public resources,” says the Port Authority.
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