JetBlue-Spirit Deal Blocked by Judge on Antitrust Grounds (2)

A federal judge blocked JetBlue Airways Corp.’s $3.8 billion acquisition of Spirit Airlines Inc., saying the combination would stifle competition and raise fares for consumers.

US District Judge William G. Young sided with the federal government and said the merger would harm cost-conscious travelers by eliminating the nation’s dominant deep-fare discount airline and drive up prices across the industry.

“If JetBlue were permitted to gobble up Spirit — at least as proposed — it would eliminate one of the airline industry’s few primary competitors that provides unique innovation and price discipline,” Young wrote Tuesday ...