JetBlue Airways is set to expand its presence at New York’s LaGuardia Airport after the Federal Aviation Administration approved its acquisition of 22 takeoff and landing slots previously held by Spirit Airlines.

The FAA determined that transferring the slots serves the public interest and will not increase the airport’s overall number of permitted operations. However, JetBlue will be prohibited from leasing, selling or otherwise transferring the slots to another airline until April 2028.

JetBlue secured the slots through a bankruptcy court-supervised auction, paying $58.5 million to beat a competing bid from Frontier Airlines. The sale was approved by a bankruptcy judge in July but required federal aviation approval before it could be finalized.

Spirit, once one of the country’s largest ultra-low-cost carriers, ceased operations on May 2, 2026, as part of its liquidation following its bankruptcy proceedings.

For JetBlue, the newly acquired LaGuardia access could significantly increase its schedule at one of the nation’s most slot-constrained airports. The airline has said the additional slots could allow it to operate up to **12 additional daily round trips** from LaGuardia beginning in 2027.

The move gives JetBlue an opportunity to strengthen its New York network while filling capacity left behind following Spirit’s exit from the market.