The Federal Aviation Authority approved JetBlue’s $58.5 million acquisition of 22 slots previously held by now-defunct Spirit Airlines at New York’s LaGuardia Airport. In July, JetBlue won the purchase rights to the slots at a bankruptcy auction following Spirit Airlines’ liquidation.

The purchase increases JetBlue’s LaGuardia slot allocation from 31 to 53 daily slots, allowing for up to 12 additional round-trip flights, and further expansion in 2027.

The acquisition consists of 12 departure and 10 arrival authorizations. For context, one daily LaGuardia roundtrip includes one arrival authorization and one departure authorization. This leaves two departure authorizations left over that the airline will pair against arrival rights already in its operations (or leave without operating).

Through the acquisition, JetBlue also won’t be allowed to lease these slots to another airline until April 2028. JetBlue’s increased slots brings the airline’s total hold of carrier slots in LaGuardia from 2.7 percent to 4.6 percent. For comparison, Delta Air Lines and American Airlines have a combined total of 73.4 percent of LaGuardia’s total availability.

The FAA concluded the granting of these slots to JetBlue will allow the airline to engage in healthy competition with other airlines with the overall goal to raise standards and reduce prices.