Gregory Polek has spent his entire career in aviation journalism with AIN, starting as a proofreader and assistant to then-managing editor Mary Mahoney in 1995 after serving an internship with&nbsp;New Jersey Monthly&nbsp;magazine and completing his B.A. degree in English/Writing at New Jersey’s William Paterson College. By 1997 Polek accepted a position as an associate editor, covering the regional airline beat for&nbsp;Aviation International News&nbsp;in place of retiring industry veteran Don Anderson. The assignment took Polek across North America and Europe to profile regional airlines varying in size and mission from the likes of floatplane operators Kenmore Air and Chalk’s Ocean Airways to regional jet operators such as SkyWest and American Eagle. Today, in his dual role as Air Transport Editor and International Airshow Editor, Polek writes, edits, and manages AIN’s commercial aviation content while overseeing each of the company’s daily international air show publications in Paris, Farnborough, Singapore, and Dubai. Most recently Polek has assumed oversight of daily coverage of the Helicopter Association International’s annual Heli-Expo convention.

Senior Editor

Gregory Polek

Spirit Airlines has rejected JetBlue’s acquisition offer, Spirit said Monday, adding that the proposed transaction represents “an unacceptable level of closing risk” to its stockholders. The ultra-low-cost carrier asserted that the takeover offer does not constitute a superior proposal to the one issued by Frontier Airlines ahead of the Spirit-Frontier <a href="https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/air-transport/2022-02-07/spirit-frontier-airlines-agree-merge">February 7 merger agreement</a>. On April 29 JetBlue revised its offer to increase its monetary value and a promise to divest Sprit assets that might present a conflict of interest with JetBlue’s Northeast Alliance agreement with American Airlines, but Spirit again rejected that proposal.

 


Spirit said it would continue to advance toward the completion of its merger with Frontier, which it expects to close in the second half of this year if it passes antitrust scrutiny. Under the terms of the merger agreement, Spirit equity holders would receive 1.9126 shares of Frontier plus $2.13 in cash for each existing Spirit share they own.

 


JetBlue’s original offer of $33 per share in cash, tendered on April 5, represented a premium of some 50 percent on Spirit’s stock price on April 4 and a higher monetary value than the cash and stock offer from Frontier. Nevertheless, that deal would have likely faced considerable antitrust scrutiny given JetBlue’s ongoing fight with the Department of Justice (DOJ), which filed suit against the company for last year’s agreement with American Airlines called the Northeast Alliance (NEA). According to the DOJ, the series of agreements would result in the consolidation of the two airlines in New York and Boston, eliminating what the department called important competition in those cities and decreasing JetBlue’s incentive to compete with American elsewhere.

 


JetBlue in December said the NEA allowed it to announce plans for nine all-new destinations and 32 new routes. By the end of the year, JetBlue and American had added 63 new routes to their schedules, including 19 international flights scheduled for launch this year and increased frequencies on more than 130 routes.

 


“We believe a combination of JetBlue and Spirit has a low probability of receiving antitrust clearance so long as JetBlue's Northeast Alliance (NEA) with American Airlines remains in existence,” Spirit Airlines chairman Mac Gardner and CEO Edward M. Christie wrote in a letter to JetBlue CEO Robin Hayes. “[The Department of Justice] clearly views the NEA as having a broader national effect and Spirit believes DOJ will not place great weight on your proposed remedy, especially because there are reasons to doubt the efficacy of similar divestitures as a remedy in past airline mergers.”

News about commercial airlines, including regulations, aircraft orders, safety, acquisitions, and mergers.

Spirit Rejects JetBlue Acquisition Overtures

Spirit Airlines chooses Frontier Airlines merger proposal over that of JetBlue, citing concerns over antitrust risk.

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Charles Alcock

News and developments about airplanes, helicopters and unmanned air vehicles used in all varieties of operations, including airlines, military, business, commercial, general aviation and private.

News about environmental issues relating to aircraft operations, including noise issues, emissisions, and regulations. See Fuel for biofuel.

News and issues relating to international air transport and cargo carriers, national airlines and regional airlines, including aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.

Agreement between start-ups could lead to orders for up to 15 aircraft

Skyhop Plans Island Routes With Noemi's Electric Seaplane

Howard Hardee

Airline plans to gradually replace its Embraer E-Jet fleet

A220’s Performance Drives BermudAir’s Fleet Growth

Partners say eVTOLs could accelerate response times in crowded Indian cities

Air India Backs SkyDrive Emergency Medical eVTOL Plans

News and issues relating to the aerospace industry that are related to the science, engineering and business of flight in space involving civil, industrial and military applications, and similar topics related to flight in the atmosphere of the Earth that are not covered more directly by other AINonline subject channels. In other words, both astronautical and aeronautical subjects, except for those aeronautical topics that are specifically covered elsewhere on this website.

Rival Boeing arguably claimed bragging rights at the Farnborough International show

Airbus Balances Shareholder Returns and New Aircraft

New developments at airports including regulations and noise issues; legal disputes; openings, acquisitions and mergers.

Connections to London Heathrow and Manchester airports will start first

Virgin Firms Up eVTOL Air Taxi Alliance with Joby

News and developments about everything that goes into the cabin of an aircraft, from floor coverings to headliners, with a special emphasis on in-flight entertainment, communications and other electronics for passengers. If it is in the cabin of an aircraft, it’s covered here.

More In Airlines

Skyhop Plans Island Routes With Noemi's Electric Seaplane

Agreement between start-ups could lead to orders for up to 15 aircraft

A220’s Performance Drives BermudAir’s Fleet Growth

Airline plans to gradually replace its Embraer E-Jet fleet

Air India Backs SkyDrive Emergency Medical eVTOL Plans

Partners say eVTOLs could accelerate response times in crowded Indian cities

Airbus Balances Shareholder Returns and New Aircraft

Rival Boeing arguably claimed bragging rights at the Farnborough International show

Virgin Firms Up eVTOL Air Taxi Alliance with Joby

Connections to London Heathrow and Manchester airports will start first

ATR Chases New Regional Markets for Twin Turboprops

Iran war and wider geopolitical pressure stall buying decisions

Embraer Racks Up E-Jet Orders at Farnborough

30 firm orders led by Abra

Gulf Air May Buy JetZero’s Blended-wing-body Z4

Japan Airlines also expresses interest at Farnborough Airshow

AIN Products

SUBSCRIPTIONS

RESOURCES

ABOUT AIN