by Mia Taylor
Last updated: 4:30 PM ET, Fri February 10, 2023
JetBlue Airways may begin offering routes to Hawaii as part of a proposed $3.8 billion merger with Spirit Airlines.
That's one of the key details revealed in a new filing with the U.S. Department of Transportation on Thursday.
Neither of the two carriers currently serves Hawaii, and the destination is one of nearly two dozen routes that would be made possible through a merger. If ultimately approved by government regulators, the merger would result in the country's fifth-largest airline.
"With more flexibility, greater resources, and an expanded route network, the JetBlue/Spirit combination will be better positioned to take advantage of the largely liberalized international operating environment, and better utilize U.S. rights under applicable air transport agreements, thereby increasing service alternatives for consumers," JetBlue said.
The Justice Department has not been entirely enthusiastic about such significant airline industry mergers in the past. It took American Airlines and JetBlue to court in response to the alliance between the two carriers in the northeast. That case is still pending.
The U.S. airline industry is already highly consolidated among a few key players. Delta, Southwest, and United handled 79% of all domestic flyers in 2022, according to data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics reported by AirlineWeekly.
Spirit Airlines aircraft. (photo courtesy of Spirit Airlines)The potential Hawaii flights that were teased in the new filings submitted to the Department of Transportation would be possible thanks to the increased number of gate facilities in Los Angeles International (LAX) Airport that would result from the merger.
If the merger proceeds, it would also allow for the expansion of JetBlue's Fort Lauderdale, Florida operations allowing the Sunshine State airport to serve as a critical hub for connections to the Caribbean and Latin America, Airline Weekly said.
Some of the additional new international routes that might result from the merger include nonstops from Charlotte, Denver, Detroit, San Francisco to Guatemala City, Guatemala; Nassau, Bahamas, and more.
The two airlines are hoping a merger may be finalized by early next year.
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