JetBlue and Spirit Airlines say they will appeal a judge’s ruling that blocked their merger

NEW YORK (AP) — JetBlue and Spirit Airlines said Friday they will appeal a federal judge’s ruling this week that blocked their plan to combine into a single carrier.

The airlines said they filed a notice of appeal with the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, following the terms of their agreement.

JetBlue proposed last year to buy Spirit for $3.8 billion in a combination of the nation’s sixth- and seventh-largest carriers. JetBlue, which outbid Frontier Airlines, said it needed to acquire Spirit to compete more effectively against even bigger airlines.

But on Tuesday, a federal judge in Boston ruled that the deal violated antitrust law. The U.S. Justice Department had sued to stop the deal, arguing that consumers would be harmed and forced to pay higher fares if Spirit — the nation’s biggest discount airline — were eliminated.

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The airlines announced their appeal in a statement that provided no other details.

Earlier Friday, Spirit said that a strong holiday-travel season in December boosted its fourth-quarter revenue. The Miramar, Florida-based airline also said that it is trying to refinance more than $1 billion in debt that is due for repayment in September 2025.

Spirit has been losing money since the start of 2020. Some analysts said it could face bankruptcy without the merger with JetBlue.

The airlines announced their intention to appeal U.S. District Judge William Young’s ruling after the stock market closed on Friday.

Shares of Spirit, which fell 62% over three days following the ruling, gained 17% in regular trading Friday and continued rising in after-hours trading. JetBlue’s shares were down more than 2% in extended trading.

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