A sale to JetBlue represented a lifeline for Spirit, which faces $1.1 billion in debt maturing next year. But a federal judge in Boston scuttled that plan by ruling Tuesday that JetBlue’s $3.8 billion proposal to buy Spirit violates antitrust law. But Frontier has its own challenges and is in no position to renew merger discussions with Spirit now, Baker said. Like Spirit, JetBlue has not had a profitable year since 2019, before the pandemic. Investors are also trying to gauge what the ruling against the JetBlue-Spirit deal means for Alaska Airlines' pending proposal to buy Hawaiian Airlines.

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Persons: Airlines hasn’t, haven’t, William Young's, ”, Helane Becker, Cowen, “, Jamie Baker wasn’t, ” Baker, Baker, Judge Young, Young, Robin Hayes –, Biden, hasn't, Michael Linenberg Organizations: Airlines, JetBlue, Justice Department, Bank of America, Pratt & Whitney, Airbus, Frontier Airlines, –, Investors, Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, Deutsche Bank, Spirit, American Airlines Locations: Boston, Miramar , Florida, Alaska