JetBlue Airways (B6, New York JFK) is seeking to obtain up to 30 gates at Fort Lauderdale International, taking over the void left by Spirit Airlines after its collapse earlier in 2026.

Chief executive Joanna Geraghty told South Florida’s Sun Sentinel newspaper that JetBlue believes Fort Lauderdale is one of its six US “focus cities,” where it can attract the most customers and be profitable.

“We are definitely going to need more resources in the form of gates,” she said, adding that the company is working with the Broward County Aviation Department to support its continued growth.

ch-aviation schedules data shows JetBlue holds around 40% of the weekly capacity at Fort Lauderdale, while its nearest competitor, Delta Air Lines, holds around 12%.

Geraghty added that Fort Lauderdale is JetBlue’s preferred option to other Florida airports because rates are “significantly lower.”

However, despite its interest in taking over the gap in the market left by Spirit Airlines at Fort Lauderdale, JetBlue is not bidding for Spirit’s headquarters in Dania Beach, Geraghty confirmed. “At this point, we are not interested in the former headquarters building. We’ve got a pretty sizeable footprint here already.”

But the company is “in the mix” for other Spirit assets that will soon be auctioned, she said, without disclosing more.

Besides its headquarters, Spirit is currently auctioning twenty-seven A320 and A321 aircraft for a minimum of USD630 million, and selling several slots it used at New York Newark.