JetBlue’s $3.8 Billion Spirit Deal Faces Tricky Antitrust Review

  • Biden DOJ enforcers have promised in-depth scrutiny of deals
  • Carriers see US approval no later than 2024’s first half

The $3.8 billion JetBlue and Spirit merger must undergo a rigorous antitrust review.

Photographer: Eva Marie Uzcategui/Bloomberg
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JetBlue Airways Corp. already overcame one adversary in its battle to acquire Spirit Airlines Inc. Now it faces an even bigger fight.

The $3.8 billion merger must undergo a rigorous antitrust review that analysts say could lead to significant divestitures or changes to the deal’s structure -- if it gets approved at all. Concern over regulatory pushback was the main reason Spirit’s board resisted JetBlue’s overtures for several months in favor of a lower offer from Frontier Group Holdings Inc.