# Which airlines will take control of the takeoff and landing slots at LaGuardia that were held by Spirit Airlines prior to their May 2026 bankruptcy?

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## Forecast

Top outcome: Frontier Airlines at 48.3%. Other leading outcomes: Southwest Airlines: 22.2%; JetBlue Airways: 16.9%; American Airlines: 12.5%; Other airline(s): 11.4%.

Generated: June 5, 2026 at 10:34 PM UTC
Forecast model: gpt-5.5
Research model: gpt-5.5

## Analysis

## TL;DR
Frontier is the favorite to take Spirit's former LaGuardia slots; Southwest and JetBlue are the only serious listed alternatives, and the legacy carriers are constrained by competition policy.

## Context
As of June 5, 2026, I found no final allocation of Spirit's former LaGuardia operating authorizations. Spirit began an immediate wind-down on May 2, 2026 ([Spirit wind-down release](https://www.spiritrestructuring.com/resources/Spirit-Airlines-Begins-Orderly-Wind-Down-of-Operations.pdf)), and the bankruptcy estate is marketing the LaGuardia slot portfolio on its own track, with final bids due June 30, an auction planned for July 9, and required governmental or regulatory approvals to be obtainable by July 17 ([Stretto summary of Docket 1117, June 1, 2026](https://chapter11cases.com/blogs/news/from-reorganization-to-wind-down-spirit-airlines-moves-to-auction-its-remaining-assets)).

The sale is not a normal asset auction. The FAA administrator said the former Spirit slots should go to a low-fare carrier or be retired ([AirlineGeeks, May 28, 2026](https://airlinegeeks.com/2026/05/28/faa-chief-spirits-slots-at-laguardia-should-go-to-another-low-cost-carrier/)), while the Port Authority objected on June 4 that Spirit lacks standing to auction the slots as if they were freely transferable property ([Bloomberg Law, June 4, 2026](https://news.bloomberglaw.com/new-york-brief/ny-port-authority-objects-to-spirit-push-to-sell-laguardia-slots)). That steers the outcome away from the highest-balance-sheet bidder and toward a low-fare or smaller-share operator.

## Evidence
The historical backbone is small but clear. In the closest bankruptcy analogue, Southwest agreed in 2008 to pay $7.5 million for 14 ATA LaGuardia takeoff and landing slots, enough for seven daily round trips, subject to bankruptcy-court approval and FAA/Port Authority work ([Travel Weekly, Nov. 19, 2008](https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Airline-News/Southwest-to-launch-LaGuardia-service-after-purchasing-ATA-slots)). In the 2011 Delta-US Airways slot-swap remedy, DOT required 16 LaGuardia slot pairs to be sold in two bundles of eight, limited bidders to carriers with under 5% of airport slots, and awarded one bundle to JetBlue and one to WestJet ([DOT announcement](https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/jetblue-westjet-gain-slots-laguardia-reagan-national-airports)). In the 2013 American-US Airways settlement, DOJ required 34 LaGuardia slots and related facilities to go to approved low-cost-carrier purchasers, with preference for airlines without a large slot or gate share ([DOJ, Nov. 12, 2013](https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/justice-department-requires-us-airways-and-american-airlines-divest-facilities-seven-key)); the final LaGuardia buyers were Southwest and Virgin America ([Travel Weekly, Dec. 6, 2013](https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Airline-News/Southwest-and-Virgin-America-to-add-LaGuardia-service-after-acquiring-AA-slots)). So the reference class is N=3: all three outcomes favored low-fare or limited-incumbent carriers, two split the package, and one bankruptcy sale went to a single low-fare carrier.

The latest public FAA holder data covers Summer 2025, was generated on Dec. 5, 2025, has status date 2025, excludes FAA-held slots and slots held under five days, and reports individual operating authorizations rather than round-trip pairs ([FAA Summer 2025 LGA Holder Totals](https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ato/service_units/systemops/perf_analysis/slot_administration/data/doc/LGA_S25_Slot_HOLDER_TOTALS.pdf)). This is the right denominator for regulatory posture, not a fresh post-shutdown allocation table.

| Holder, FAA Summer 2025 | Individual LGA slots held |
|---|---:|
| Delta Air Lines | 511 |
| American Airlines | 327 |
| United Airlines | 94 |
| Southwest Airlines | 57 |
| Air Canada | 43 |
| JetBlue Airways | 31 |
| Spirit Airlines | 22 |
| WestJet | 16 |
| Republic Airways | 15 |
| Alaska Airlines | 12 |
| Endeavor Air | 9 |
| Frontier Airlines | 4 |

Frontier has the strongest specific evidence. JetBlue and Frontier signed a 2023 agreement for Frontier to receive all of Spirit's LaGuardia holdings if the JetBlue-Spirit merger closed, mainly six Marine Air Terminal gates and 22 takeoff and landing slots, subject to Port Authority and FAA/DOT approvals ([JetBlue/Frontier release, June 1, 2023](https://news.jetblue.com/latest-news/press-release-details/2023/JetBlue-and-Frontier-Announce-Divestiture-Agreement-in-Connection-with-JetBlues-Combination-with-Spirit/default.aspx)). That agreement failed because the JetBlue-Spirit deal failed, not because Frontier rejected the LaGuardia package. Frontier is also the closest surviving ultra-low-cost substitute for Spirit and has a tiny LGA footprint in the FAA holder table, which makes it the cleanest match for the FAA's low-fare signal.

Southwest is second. It has the ATA precedent, a larger current LGA base, and the financial and operational depth to use the slots. It is still a low-fare carrier, but it is less of a like-for-like Spirit replacement than Frontier and already has 57 held slots in the latest FAA holder table ([FAA Summer 2025 LGA Holder Totals](https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ato/service_units/systemops/perf_analysis/slot_administration/data/doc/LGA_S25_Slot_HOLDER_TOTALS.pdf)). JetBlue is live because it has only 31 held slots and clear New York network value, but regulators blocked its Spirit acquisition after finding the deal would eliminate an ultra-low-cost competitor ([DOJ, March 4, 2024](https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/justice-department-statements-jetblue-terminating-acquisition-spirit-airlines)), and JetBlue's own 2023 remedy would have sent these assets to Frontier. American has motive and money; its CEO said American would be aggressive when assets became available, and industry coverage named American, Frontier, JetBlue, and Southwest as the leading candidates ([The Points Guy, May 28, 2026](https://thepointsguy.com/news/spirit-laguardia-slots/)). But American is already the second-largest LGA holder and is not the policy-favored replacement for Spirit. Delta is the longest major-carrier shot because it is the largest LGA holder by far. United is possible only in a split or value-driven sale. Alaska has a small holder position but little evidence of current operating need.

Other airline(s) is a real bucket, not a residual error term. WestJet won a LaGuardia bundle in the 2011 remedy ([DOT announcement](https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/jetblue-westjet-gain-slots-laguardia-reagan-national-airports)), and current reporting flags Porter as a dark horse because its Toronto Billy Bishop preclearance setup could let it move New York-area flying from Newark to LaGuardia if it obtained slots ([The Points Guy, May 28, 2026](https://thepointsguy.com/news/spirit-laguardia-slots/)). Breeze, Avelo, Allegiant, Sun Country, Air Canada, or WestJet-like bidders have weaker execution paths than Frontier or Southwest, but one formal pair is enough for this option to resolve YES.

My scenario model uses five paths: 54% for a regulator-shaped single-buyer sale to a low-fare carrier, 22% for a less constrained value-maximizing single-buyer sale, 15% for a split sale or negotiated bundle allocation, 5% for FAA/Port Authority recapture followed by allocation or lottery, and 4% for retirement or no clear airline allocation by the deadline. The first path is high because the estate is trying to sell one LaGuardia slot portfolio quickly ([Stretto summary of Docket 1117, June 1, 2026](https://chapter11cases.com/blogs/news/from-reorganization-to-wind-down-spirit-airlines-moves-to-auction-its-remaining-assets)) and because the FAA has already signaled low-fare preference ([AirlineGeeks, May 28, 2026](https://airlinegeeks.com/2026/05/28/faa-chief-spirits-slots-at-laguardia-should-go-to-another-low-cost-carrier/)). The split and recapture paths stay material because the 2011 and 2013 remedies split LaGuardia slot packages, and because the Port Authority objection could force a negotiated result. Multiplying candidate weights through those paths gives Frontier 48%, Southwest 22%, JetBlue 17%, American 12%, Other 11%, United 3%, Delta 1%, and Alaska 1%. The probabilities sum above 100% because a split allocation can make several options true.

## What's non-obvious
The headline auction story overstates the role of price. Under 14 CFR § 93.221, a slot recipient cannot use a transferred slot until the FAA gives written confirmation ([14 CFR § 93.221](https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/14/93.221)). The current LaGuardia order also says the FAA can retire surrendered, withdrawn, or unassigned operating authorizations until hourly totals return to 71, and can use a lottery if it decides to reallocate available authorizations ([Federal Register public-inspection PDF, May 13, 2024](https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2024-10298.pdf)). That gives FAA/DOT and the Port Authority leverage over the bankruptcy estate.

The unit mismatch also matters. The reliable public count is 22 individual slots or operating authorizations, not 22 daily round-trip pairs; The Points Guy translates that into roughly 12 daily flights because an airline generally needs separate arrival and departure slots ([The Points Guy, May 28, 2026](https://thepointsguy.com/news/spirit-laguardia-slots/)). A package that small is large enough to matter but small enough that a single replacement tenant is plausible. It is not a broad expansion round for every interested airline.

## Limitations
No public source I found gives the actual bidder list, stalking-horse bidder, qualified bids, or a final FAA/DOT confirmation. The most current public record is procedural: the proposed July 9 auction, the July 17 regulatory-approval deadline, the FAA low-fare-or-retire signal, and the Port Authority's objection ([Stretto summary of Docket 1117, June 1, 2026](https://chapter11cases.com/blogs/news/from-reorganization-to-wind-down-spirit-airlines-moves-to-auction-its-remaining-assets); [Bloomberg Law, June 4, 2026](https://news.bloomberglaw.com/new-york-brief/ny-port-authority-objects-to-spirit-push-to-sell-laguardia-slots)). The legal force of the Port Authority objection is uncertain; it could be a bargaining position, a delay, or a real veto over practical terminal access. The LaGuardia order also expires on Oct. 24, 2026 unless extended or replaced, so a new slot policy could change the allocation path ([Federal Register public-inspection PDF, May 13, 2024](https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2024-10298.pdf)).

## Sources

- Domain Expert Search (mcp)
  > Found 12 subagent groups for 'US airline regulation airport slots LaGuardia FAA DOT bankruptcy airline asset sales Spirit Airlines liquidation':
- Court Listener (mcp)
  > Found 1 total dockets (showing 1-1):
- [spiritrestructuring.com](https://www.spiritrestructuring.com/resources/Spirit-Airlines-Begins-Orderly-Wind-Down-of-Operations.pdf) (openai)
- [Spirit Airlines has stopped flying. Here’s what happens next - WTOP News](https://wtop.com/national/2026/05/spirit-airlines-has-stopped-flying-heres-what-happens-next) (openai)
- [Spirit Aims to Auction LaGuardia Slots, Pay Executive Bonuses](https://news.bloomberglaw.com/new-york-brief/spirit-aims-to-auction-laguardia-slots-pay-executive-bonuses) (openai)
- [Spirit Airlines to sell its 22 New York LaGuardia slots - The Points Guy](https://thepointsguy.com/news/spirit-laguardia-slots) (openai)
- [Slot Administration - U.S. Level 3 Airports | Federal Aviation Administration](https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ato/service_units/systemops/perf_analysis/slot_administration/slot_administration_schedule_facilitation/level-3-airports) (openai)
- [14 CFR § 93.221 - Transfer of slots. | Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (e-CFR) | US Law | LII / Legal Information Institute](https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/14/93.221) (openai)
- [Spirit’s LaGuardia Slots Should Go to Low-Cost Carrier, FAA Says](https://news.bloomberglaw.com/new-york-brief/spirits-laguardia-slots-should-go-to-low-cost-carrier-faa-says) (openai)
- [NY Port Authority Objects to Spirit Push to Sell LaGuardia Slots](https://news.bloomberglaw.com/new-york-brief/ny-port-authority-objects-to-spirit-push-to-sell-laguardia-slots) (openai)
- [JetBlue, WestJet win airport slots at LaGuardia and Reagan National: Travel Weekly](https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Airline-News/JetBlue-and-WestJet-win-airport-slots-at-LaGuardia-and-Reagan-National) (openai)
- [Office of Public Affairs |  Justice Department Requires US Airways and American Airlines
to Divest Facilities at Seven Key Airports to Enhance
System-wide Competition and Settle Merger Challenge | United States Department of Justice](https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/justice-department-requires-us-airways-and-american-airlines-divest-facilities-seven-key) (openai)
- [Southwest Airlines Acquires Slots At New York's LaGuardia Airport](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/southwest-airlines-acquires-slots-at-new-yorks-laguardia-airport-234668091.html) (openai)
- [SWA, Virgin America acquire LaGuardia slots from AA: Travel Weekly](https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Airline-News/Southwest-and-Virgin-America-to-add-LaGuardia-service-after-acquiring-AA-slots) (openai)
- [JetBlue Airways Corporation - JetBlue and Frontier Announce Divestiture Agreement in Connection with JetBlue’s Combination with Spirit](https://news.jetblue.com/latest-news/press-release-details/2023/JetBlue-and-Frontier-Announce-Divestiture-Agreement-in-Connection-with-JetBlues-Combination-with-Spirit/default.aspx) (openai)
- [Summer 2025 LGA Holder Totals](https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ato/service_units/systemops/perf_analysis/slot_administration/data/doc/LGA_S25_Slot_HOLDER_TOTALS.pdf) (openai)
- [Spirit Aviation Holdings, Inc. - 10K - Annual Report - March 16, 2026](https://fintel.io/doc/sec-spirit-aviation-holdings-inc-1498710-10k-2026-march-16-20528-4451) (openai)
- [System Capacity and Evaluation | Federal Aviation Administration](https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ato/service_units/systemops/perf_analysis/slot_administration/data) (openai)
- SEC EDGAR (mcp)
  > Financial Metric: CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue
- bts Transtats (mcp)
  > Yearly Passengers at LGA — 2018..2024

## Question Details

On May 2, 2026, Spirit Airlines ceased operations and began liquidating its assets following bankruptcy, canceling all flights and vacating facilities including its operations at LaGuardia Airport (LGA) in New York. (opb.org) Spirit had been the sole tenant of the Marine Air Terminal at LaGuardia and held a portfolio of FAA-controlled takeoff and landing slots at this slot-constrained airport. (en.wikipedia.org) In a liquidation scenario, such slots are valuable assets that may be reassigned by regulators (e.g., the FAA and U.S. Department of Transportation) or transferred/sold through bankruptcy proceedings to other airlines. This question asks which airlines will ultimately take control (through purchase, transfer, or regulatory reallocation) of the LaGuardia slot pairs that were held by Spirit Airlines immediately prior to its shutdown on May 2, 2026. The resolution will consider developments from May 2, 2026 onward until a clear, authoritative allocation of the majority of these slots has occurred.

### Resolution Criteria

This question will resolve based on publicly reported final allocation(s) of Spirit Airlines' former LaGuardia (LGA) slot pairs. Primary sources for resolution will include: - Official announcements or orders from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) or Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) - Bankruptcy court filings or rulings related to Spirit Airlines asset disposition - Confirmed reporting from major reputable news outlets (e.g., Reuters, AP News, Bloomberg, Wall Street Journal) Each listed airline option will be considered "true" if it is confirmed to have obtained control of at least one slot pair formerly held by Spirit at LGA, whether via purchase, lease, or regulatory reassignment. If multiple airlines acquire slots, multiple options may resolve as true. If no clear or final allocation is reported by May 2, 2028, the question will be annulled.

### Fine Print

- "Control" includes ownership, long-term lease, or formal allocation of slot usage rights sufficient to operate scheduled service at LGA. - Temporary or emergency use of slots (e.g., short-term accommodation flights immediately after shutdown) does not count unless later formalized. - If a merger or acquisition results in slots being transferred indirectly (e.g., via acquisition of Spirit assets), the acquiring airline counts. - If slots are returned to a general FAA pool and later redistributed, the eventual recipient airlines count. - If an airline ceases to exist or merges before resolution, its successor entity is credited. - Options are not mutually exclusive: multiple airlines may receive portions of the slot portfolio.