In a significant legal development, federal judge, William G. Young of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, issued a ruling on January 16, that effectively halted JetBlue Airways‘ proposed US$3.8 billion (£3 billion) acquisition of Spirit Airlines. The decision represents a victory for the Department of Justice, which had argued that the merger would negatively impact travellers.
As the New York Times reported, Judge Young's extensive 109-page ruling aligned with the Justice Department's assertion that the merger would reduce competition within the airline industry. The proposed deal aimed to create the nation's fifth-largest airline, with the Justice Department contending that smaller, budget-friendly carriers like Spirit Airlines played a vital role in keeping airfares affordable. Allowing JetBlue, which generally charges higher prices than Spirit, to acquire the company, would, in their view, harm consumers.
The four largest U.S. airlines—American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines—already control a significant portion of the market, with the merger granting JetBlue a ten-percent market share, still less than United's 16%.
JetBlue's legal team argued in court that the merger would enhance its ability to compete with the four major national carriers, ultimately reducing prices across the board. However, the Justice Department countered that a larger JetBlue would likely behave similarly to its bigger competitors while eliminating a budget-friendly option for travellers.
Evidence presented during the trial demonstrated that when Spirit Airlines introduced a new route, it led to reduced fares, even on JetBlue flights. JetBlue had plans to reconfigure the tightly packed Spirit airplanes to match its more spacious seating arrangement, which would have resulted in a reduction in the number of seats.
In his ruling, Judge Young concurred with the government's position, asserting that the merger would “likely incentivise JetBlue further to abandon its roots as a maverick, low-cost carrier.” He emphasized Spirit's crucial role as a small, budget-friendly alternative to the larger airlines, stating, “Spirit is a small airline, but there are those who love it. To those dedicated customers of Spirit, this one's for you.”
Following the news, Spirit Airlines' share price experienced a 47% drop, while JetBlue's share price closed with a five-percent increase.
