JetBlue Doubles Down on Fort Lauderdale Growth, Unfazed by Spirit's Turmoil

JetBlue Airways is charging ahead with its expansion at Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport, regardless of what happens to Spirit Airlines, the airport's dominant carrier. President Marty St. George made that clear on an earnings call Tuesday, noting the airline has added significant capacity at Spirit's home hub.

"We've doubled the size of our next biggest competitor," St. George said, though he emphasized that JetBlue didn't plan this growth around Spirit's potential collapse. Instead, the airline took advantage of gates that Spirit vacated as it cut routes to save money. Spirit filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for the second time in under a year and is now in talks with the Trump administration for a potential $500 million bailout that could give the government up to a 90% stake.

JetBlue's market share at Fort Lauderdale has climbed to over 20%, up from 18.5% a year ago, while Spirit's share slipped from 28% to just under 25%. United, Frontier, and Breeze have also added flights there. St. George said JetBlue is happy with its unit revenue at the airport, proof that the carrier's value proposition resonates in South Florida.

The industry faces rising fuel costs, but demand remains strong. The Association of Value Airlines, which doesn't include JetBlue, is seeking $2.5 billion from the government to offset fuel price spikes. JetBlue CEO Joanna Geraghty said the airline would consider any reasonable deal but is focused on its JetForward plan, which includes adding domestic first-class seats. She added the carrier is watching to see "what shakes out with Spirit and value carriers."