US Sues to Stop JetBlue’s Spirit Purchase on Consumer Impact (1)

The US launched a two-part effort to block JetBlue Airways Corp.’s $3.8 billion acquisition of Spirit Airlines Inc. Tuesday, filing an antitrust lawsuit and withholding certification required for the carriers to combine operations.

In a complaint filed in federal court in Boston, the Justice Department said the combination would lead to higher prices for consumers by eliminating Spirit as a deep fare discounter. Bloomberg had previously reported the move was likely to come as soon as Tuesday. New York, Massachusetts and Washington, DC, joined in the antitrust suit.

“The merger of JetBlue and Spirit would result in higher fares ...