Spirit Calls Off Shareholder Vote Hours Before Meeting, Will Continue Talks With Both Frontier and JetBlue

A Spirit aircraft at LaGuardia Airport
Spirit Airlines unexpectedly announced on Friday that it was delaying a shareholder vote on a proposed merger with Frontier Airlines until July 8, thereby extending a heated and protracted battle over the airline by both Frontier and JetBlue Airways.
The move was “to allow the Spirit board of directors to continue discussions with Frontier and JetBlue,” Spirit said in a statement.
JetBlue issued a statement in support of the move
“We compliment the Spirit board for listening to their [sic] shareholders, who clearly were not supportive of the Frontier transaction, and adjourning the Special Meeting,” the New York-based airline said in a statement.
“We look forward to commencing a constructive and substantive dialogue with them,” it added.
The budget carrier, which was formed in 1983, had originally scheduled Thursday’s vote for June 10, but had delayed that meeting for the same reasons.
Both Frontier and JetBlue have upped their respective bids for Spirit in recent weeks.
Either combination – namely with JetBlue or Frontier – would create the nation’s fifth-largest airline.
(Photo: Accura Media Group)