XML 35 R20.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT
v3.24.3

Termination of Merger Agreement with Spirit | 9 Months Ended
--- | ---
Sep. 30, 2024
Business Combination, Asset Acquisition, and Joint Venture Formation [Abstract] |
Termination of Merger Agreement with Spirit | Termination of Merger Agreement with Spirit The Merger Agreement As previously disclosed, on July 28, 2022, JetBlue entered into the Merger Agreement with Spirit and Sundown Acquisition Corp., formerly a Delaware corporation and a direct wholly owned subsidiary of JetBlue ("Merger Sub"), pursuant to which and subject to the terms and conditions therein, Merger Sub would merge with and into Spirit, with Spirit continuing as the surviving corporation (the "Merger"). On March 1, 2024, JetBlue, Spirit and Merger Sub entered into a Termination Agreement (the "Termination Agreement"), pursuant to which the parties agreed to terminate the Merger Agreement, effective immediately, subject to limited exceptions related to JetBlue’s previously agreed indemnification obligations. Pursuant to the Termination Agreement, JetBlue agreed to pay the $69 million breakup fee on March 5, 2024, which was recorded in special items on the consolidated statement of operations. The parties also agreed to release each other from claims, demands, damages, actions, causes of action and liability relating to or arising out of the Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated therein or thereby. In accordance with the terms of the Merger Agreement, on a monthly basis between January 2023 and February 2024, JetBlue paid to the holders of record of outstanding Spirit shares an amount in cash equal to $0.10 per Spirit share (such amount, the "Additional Prepayment Amount", and each such monthly payment, an "Additional Prepayment"). In 2024, JetBlue made an aggregate of $22 million in Additional Prepayments to Spirit shareholders resulting in a total prepayment of $425 million. These Additional Prepayments were written off in March 2024, in addition to the $25 million reimbursement payment to Spirit in connection with the Frontier transaction costs as a result of the termination of the Merger Agreement. The write off is recorded in special items on the consolidated statement of operations. In March 2024, the Company recorded a valuation allowance of $134 million related to the tax impact of the Spirit transaction costs. Refer to Note 3 for further detail of the $3.5 billion Senior Secured Bridge Facility commitment to fund the purchase of Spirit, which was terminated concurrently with the termination of the Merger Agreement. Legal Proceedings Related to the Merger As previously disclosed, in March 2023, the U.S. Department of Justice ("DOJ"), along with the Attorneys General of six states and the District of Columbia (the "AGs"), filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts against JetBlue and Spirit, seeking a permanent injunction preventing the Merger (the "Government Merger Lawsuit"). The trial commenced on October 31, 2023 and on January 17, 2024, the Court issued its Final Judgment and Order granting the plaintiffs' request for a permanent injunction of the Merger. On January 19, 2024, JetBlue and Spirit filed a Notice of Appeal with respect to the January 17, 2024 Final Judgment and Order and the Court’s corresponding January 16, 2024 Findings of Facts and Conclusion of Law, which the parties then moved to dismiss following their entrance into the Termination Agreement. On March 5, 2024, the Court approved JetBlue and Spirit's voluntary dismissal of the appeal. Subsequent to this decision, JetBlue and Spirit reached a tentative settlement with the AGs for legal fees related to their joining the DOJ in this lawsuit. As also previously disclosed, on November 3, 2022, 25 individual consumers filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California against JetBlue and Spirit seeking to enjoin the Merger, alleging that it violates Section 7 of the Clayton Act (the "Private Merger Lawsuit"). On March 29, 2023, the Private Merger Lawsuit was transferred to the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts. The trial in the Private Merger Lawsuit was stayed pending resolution of the Government Merger Lawsuit. Following the execution of the Termination Agreement, JetBlue and Spirit moved to dismiss all proceedings related to the Private Merger Lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts and the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. The motions were granted by the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit and the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts on April 29, 2024 and June 18, 2024, respectively. The plaintiffs' subsequently moved for recovery of attorneys' fees related to the lawsuit. On September 5, 2024, Judge Young of the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts denied the plaintiffs' motion for legal fees. On September 13, 2024, the plaintiffs filed a notice of appeal of Judge Young's order in the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. JetBlue continues to believe that the plaintiffs' request for legal fees and the related appeal is without merit.

X
- References No definition available. + Details
Name: | us-gaap_BusinessCombinationAndAssetAcquisitionAbstract
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition The entire disclosure for a business combination (or series of individually immaterial business combinations) completed during the period, including background, timing, and recognized assets and liabilities. The disclosure may include leverage buyout transactions (as applicable). + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Topic 805 -SubTopic 20 -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Section 50 -Paragraph 5 -Subparagraph (b) -Publisher FASB -URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147479907/805-20-50-5 Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -Topic 805 -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Publisher FASB -URI https://asc.fasb.org/805/tableOfContent + Details
Name: | us-gaap_BusinessCombinationDisclosureTextBlock
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | dtr-types:textBlockItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration