LaGuardia Airport's historic Marine Air Terminal could once again serve air travelers after JetBlue won an auction to take over flight slots that were abandoned earlier this year when Spirit Airlines went bankrupt.
The deal means the Queens-based airline could add up to 12 daily roundtrips out of the airport, starting in 2027. It also could breathe new life into an Art Deco gem that’s been vacant since Spirit moved out in May.
The tiny terminal, which has just six gates, dates back to the 1940s and is on the National Register of Historic Places. While the rest of LaGuardia Airport was rebuilt through a project that wrapped up in 2022, the Marine Air Terminal, or Terminal A, was kept intact.
JetBlue currently operates out of Terminal B at LaGuardia but has expressed interest in moving its operation to the historic terminal if the deal closes as expected. The agreement, confirmed to Gothamist by the airline and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, remains subject to court and regulatory approval.
JetBlue bid $58.5 million, narrowly edging out Frontier Airlines.
The homegrown JetBlue, a low-cost carrier that launched its first flights from JFK Airport in 2000, is “evaluating how best to utilize” its new slots at LaGuardia, an airline spokesperson said in a statement to Gothamist, adding that any expansion would start in 2027.
A spokesperson for the Port Authority, which owns and operates the region's airports, said the auction reflects the value of LaGuardia to the region.
“We are pleased the auction has concluded and look forward to working with JetBlue as it expands its operations at LaGuardia,” spokesperson Halimah Elmariah wrote in an email. “The Port Authority remains committed to the long-term future of Terminal A, and plans to move forward with preserving the landmarked Marine Air Terminal while dramatically upgrading the attached non-landmarked 1980s-era concourse and boarding area."
