Deals

Spirit Air Ends Frontier Merger as Focus Shifts to JetBlue Bid

Discount airlines agree to terminate February deal to combine
Spirit to continue talks with JetBlue on $3.7 billion offer

A Spirit Airlines plane on the tarmac at Fort Lauderdale International Airport in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.Photographer: Saul Martinez/Bloomberg

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By Mary Schlangenstein

July 27, 2022 at 8:11 PM UTC

Updated on

July 27, 2022 at 9:32 PM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

Spirit Airlines Inc. and Frontier Group Holdings Inc. terminated a merger agreement that would have created the nation’s largest deep-discount carrier, opening the door to a rival bid for Spirit from JetBlue Airways Corp.

The mutual decision, announced Wednesday via webcast, ends the most contentious takeover battle in the industry in recent years. Spirit said it would continue talks with JetBlue and provide an update soon.