US-based airlines JetBlue and Spirit Airlines have jointly filed a notice of appeal against last week’s court decision blocking the merger of the two carriers, according to JetBlue.
The US Department of Justice (DOJ) initially filed a civil antitrust lawsuit to block JetBlue's proposed $3.8 billion acquisition of Spirit Airlines in March 2023.
A US judge backed the DOJ in the case last week because the merger would harm travellers who “rely on Spirit's unique, low-price model”, and also because it “would likely incentivise JetBlue further to abandon its roots as a maverick, low-cost carrier”.
JetBlue confirmed in a statement that the appeal filing was “consistent with the requirements of the merger agreement”. Neither carrier provided further information.
Meanwhile, a separate media report in the US suggested that JetBlue plans to cut some routes and services as the company attempts to return to profitability.
The carrier reportedly intends to focus on leisure-orientated routes, with additional services to Paris and the Caribbean, while it will eliminate some domestic flights from New York's John F Kennedy International airport.