Business Standard

US: Spirit Airlines agrees to be bought by JetBlue in $3.8-bn deal

The agreement on Thursday comes a day after Spirit's attempt to merge with Frontier Airlines fell apart.

A logo of low cost carrier Spirit Airlines is pictured on an Airbus plane in Colomiers near Toulouse, France (Photo: Reuters)

A logo of low cost carrier Spirit Airlines is pictured on an Airbus plane in Colomiers near Toulouse, France (Photo: Reuters)

AP New York

JetBlue has agreed to buy Spirit Airlines for $3.8 billion in a deal that would create the nation's fifth largest airline if approved by US regulators.

The agreement on Thursday comes a day after Spirit's attempt to merge with Frontier Airlines fell apart. Spirit had recommended its shareholders approve a lower offer from Frontier, saying that antitrust regulators are more likely to reject the bid from JetBlue.

JetBlue said on Thursday that it would pay $33.50 per share in cash for Spirit, including a prepayment of $2.50 per share in cash payable once Spirit stockholders approve the transaction. There's also a ticking fee of 10 cents per month starting in January 2023 through closing.

 

The combined airline would have a fleet of 458 aircraft. The airlines will continue to operate independently until after the transaction closes.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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First Published: Jul 28 2022 | 5:03 PM IST

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