JetBlue Airways is executing an aggressive expansion strategy at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, positioning itself to capture market share as Spirit Airlines, the airport’s longtime dominant carrier, struggles through bankruptcy proceedings and widespread route cuts. The New York-based airline plans to launch 17 new routes and increase its Fort Lauderdale schedule by 35% in 2026, marking one of the most significant competitive shifts in South Florida aviation history.
The strategic move comes as Spirit Airlines, headquartered just minutes away in Dania Beach, faces its second Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing in less than a year and has announced service cuts to multiple cities while reducing capacity at its primary hub.
The Fort Lauderdale Opportunity
JetBlue’s expansion capitalizes on what industry experts are calling a “once-in-a-decade” growth opportunity at Fort Lauderdale, where Spirit has long held the dominant position with its ultra-low-cost model. The timing appears calculated to exploit Spirit’s financial distress and operational uncertainty.
“The bet we’ve made in [Fort] Lauderdale is a pretty big bet,” said JetBlue president Marty St. George during a recent Morgan Stanley Laguna Conference. The airline sees Fort Lauderdale as its third major “tentpole” alongside established hubs in New York and Boston, creating a southeastern counterpart to its northeastern operations…