Biden administration takes on JetBlue as its fight against industry consolidation goes to court

By DAVID KOENIG
AP Airlines Writer

The Biden administration and JetBlue Airways are facing off in court over the Biden administration’s effort to stop JetBlue from buying Spirit Airlines. The trial over the government’s antitrust lawsuit is scheduled to begin Tuesday in Boston. JetBlue is trying to buy Spirit for $3.8 billion, saying it needs to grow to compete against bigger airlines like American, United, Delta and Southwest. But the government says if JetBlue gobbles up low-cost Spirit, it will hurt consumers, especially ones on a tight budget. Spirit is known for offering rock-bottom fares but making up for it by charging lots of extra fees.