Business
JetBlue is full steam ahead on Fort Lauderdale, regardless of Spirit’s fate
JetBlue Airways is moving forward with its flight plans at Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport, its president said, regardless of whether the airport’s No. 1 carrier, Spirit Airlines, gets a government bailout.
JetBlue, United Airlines, Frontier Airlines, Breeze Airways and others added flights last year at Fort Lauderdale, Florida, which is Spirit’s home hub as well as at other major airports where Spirit has a large presence. Those moves came shortly after Spirit filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for the second time in less than a year.
As a possible liquidation looms, budget carrier Spirit is in talks with the Trump administration for a potential bailout that could include a $500 million loan that could also give the government an up to 90% stake, people familiar with the matter have said, requesting anonymity to talk about the deal before it’s public. The airline’s lenders are assessing a deal this week.
Spirit has cut its capacity in recent years to save on costs. In February, it still had the most market share at Fort Lauderdale with nearly 25%, down from more than 28% a year earlier, while JetBlue’s share grew to more than 20%, up from 18.5% a year earlier, according to the latest available statistics from the airport.
“We have now added significant capacity” there, JetBlue’s president, Marty St. George, said on an earnings call Tuesday. “We’ve doubled the size of our next biggest competitor.
“We did not go into this with any expectation of Spirit going away,” he added. “What we have done is we’ve taken advantage of gate availability that they’ve created with some of their pulldowns.”
He added that JetBlue was happy with its unit revenue there, even with the capacity additions. “I think what it shows is that the JetBlue value proposition resonates in South Florida,” he said.
The industry is grappling with a surge in fuel prices, but JetBlue and other carriers have so far reported that customers continue to book flights.
The Association of Value Airlines, of which JetBlue isn’t a member, on Monday said it is seeking $2.5 billion from the Trump administration to help offset the jump in fuel, airlines’ second-biggest expense after labor.
JetBlue CEO Joanna Geraghty said the airline is open to “anything and everything, assuming the terms would make sense for JetBlue,” but added the airline is focused on its JetForward strategy to return to profitability, including adding new products like domestic first-class seats.
She said that the carrier is watching the situation and seeing what “shakes out with Spirit and value carriers and whether anything comes their way,” she said.
Heineken has announced a substantial investment exceeding £44 million into hundreds of its pubs across the UK, a move expected to create approximately 850 jobs.
The Dutch brewing giant’s Star Pubs operation, which manages 2,350 sites nationwide, is undertaking this significant financial commitment despite a challenging period for the pub sector.
The industry has faced considerable pressure over the past year, grappling with escalating labour costs and increases in national insurance contributions.
Concurrently, consumer spending has been constrained by concerns over inflation and rising unemployment, further impacting pub revenues. However, pubs did receive additional business rates support from the government last month, aimed at alleviating some of these financial burdens.
Lawson Mountstevens, managing director of Star Pubs, indicated that the investment strategy is partly designed to bolster revenues and help the group navigate the recent “sustained increases in running costs”.
This year, £44.5 million will be allocated to upgrades for 647 pubs. A notable 108 of these venues are earmarked for particularly significant cash injections, with each transformation costing at least £145,000.
Heineken clarified that while the majority of its pubs are group-owned, they are independently operated by local licensees. A key focus for this investment, particularly in the lead-up to the 2026 football World Cup, will be on sports-focused venues.
The pub firm and brewer has a history of significant investment in British pubs, having pumped £328 million into the sector since 2018. Work has already commenced at 52 locations, including eight projects dedicated to reopening boarded-up pubs that have endured lengthy closures.
Mr Mountstevens also urged the government to reduce the tax burden on pubs, arguing it would ease cost pressures and foster further job creation within the industry.
He stated: “We can only do so much; the root-and-branch reform of business rates that the industry has been calling for over many years is urgently required, as well as a lowering of the burden of taxation on pubs, including VAT and beer duty.”
He concluded with a direct appeal: “We are calling on the Government to support us in bringing out the best in the Great British pub.”
GameStop’s boss Ryan Cohen says he sees potential to make eBay a much bigger rival to Amazon.
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It comes as the US said on Monday it will begin to help “guide” vessels out of the Strait of Hormuz.
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