The planned merger between Jetblue and Spirit Airlines has become a long way off because a US district judge banned the planned merger. He thereby confirmed the view of the US competition authority.
For the first time in 20 years, there is significant resistance to aviation consolidation in the United States. The matter is doubly complicated for Spirit Airlines because they initially wanted to merge with Frontier Airlines. This failed due to resistance from Spirit shareholders saw a better future at Jetblue.
The competition authority, which reports to the government, has banned the merger. For this reason, it was discussed in court. The responsible district court did not approve the merger. The verdict can be appealed, so the final word has not yet been spoken.