NEW YORK — JetBlue Airways and Spirit Airlines, two reliable options for flights to Haiti and domestic travel between Haitian enclaves, may merge if JetBlue’s $3.6 billion offer to buy Spirit is accepted.
Both airlines have become reliable low-cost options for Haitian-Americans looking for both domestic travel and direct flights to Haiti. Spirit offers daily flights from Fort Lauderdale to Cap-Haitien and JetBlue has numerous routes connecting Haitian community enclaves along the eastern seaboard and well beyond.
“The combination of JetBlue and Spirit – coupled with the incredible benefits of our northeast alliance with American Airlines – would be a game-changer in our ability to deliver superior value on a national scale to customers, crewmembers, communities, and shareholders,” JetBlue CEO Robin Hayes said in an Apr. 5 statement announcing the deal.
Spirit, known for its cheap flights, said it is considering the offer.
“The Spirit board of directors will work with its financial and legal advisors to evaluate JetBlue’s proposal and pursue the course of action it determines to be in the best interests of Spirit and its stockholders,” the company said in a statement.