Biden Administration Takes on JetBlue as Its Fight Against Industry Consolidation Goes to Court

Biden Administration Takes on JetBlue as Its Fight Against Industry Consolidation Goes to Court
A JetBlue Airways Airbus A320 (L) passes a Spirit Airlines Airbus A320 as it taxis on the runway at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on July 7, 2022. Wilfredo Lee/AP Photo
|Updated:
0:00

The Biden administration’s fight against consolidation in the airline industry is being tested Tuesday as lawyers for JetBlue Airways and the Justice Department squared off in court.

The administration is suing to block JetBlue’s proposed $3.8 billion acquisition of Spirit Airlines. The trial in federal district court in Boston could reshape the market for low-cost airlines—Spirit is by far the nation’s biggest budget carrier, and it will disappear if JetBlue wins the case.