JetBlue Airways (B6, New York JFK) has brought in advisers to assess the viability of the carrier being sold to a rival airline, people familiar with the matter told the news website Semafor. The airline said it remained focused on the ongoing transformation plan.

"As a matter of policy, JetBlue does not comment on market speculation or rumours. We’ve made meaningful progress on our multi-year JetForward strategy and are focused on executing the plan. We’re confident JetForward is the right strategy to restore profitability and create value for our shareholders and opportunities for our crewmembers," the airline told ch-aviation.

According to the report, JetBlue specifically asked the consultants for scenarios on how a deal with United Airlines, Alaska Airlines, or Southwest Airlines might be received in Washington. Any potential transaction would require antitrust approval.

In 2024, JetBlue Airways cancelled its USD3.8 billion merger with Spirit Airlines after a US judge blocked the deal on anti-competitive concerns. The company also saw its Northeast Alliance with American Airlines struck down in 2023.

In 2025, JetBlue announced a partnership with United, which has received a certain degree of scrutiny and legal challenges due to its parallels to the Northeast Alliance. Under this partnership, JetBlue also agreed to provide United access to slots at New York JFK for up to seven daily round-trip flights starting in 2027.

According to Semafor’s sources, United has long entertained the prospect of buying JetBlue, but only at the right price.

The United States has recently witnessed a trend in airline consolidation, with Allegiant Air and Sun Country Airlines merging under the former’s name, Alaska Airlines acquiring Hawaiian Airlines, and some reports alleging that Spirit and ultra-low-cost rival Frontier Airlines could also merge, though the carriers dismissed these reports at the time.