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Entry into Merger Agreement with Spirit Airlines
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2023
Business Combination and Asset Acquisition [Abstract]  
Entry into Merger Agreement with Spirit Airlines Entry into Merger Agreement with Spirit Airlines
On July 28, 2022, JetBlue entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Merger Agreement”) with Spirit Airlines, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Spirit”), and Sundown Acquisition Corp., 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 will merge with and into Spirit, with Spirit continuing as the surviving corporation (the “Merger”). On October 19, 2022, Spirit announced that its stockholders approved the Merger Agreement.
On the date of the closing of the Merger (the “Closing Date”), as a result of the Merger, each existing share (“Share”) of Spirit’s common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, will be converted at the effective time of the Merger into the right to receive an amount in cash per Share, without interest, equal to (a) $33.50 minus (b) (i) to the extent paid, an amount in cash equal to $2.50 per Share and (ii) the lesser of (A) $1.15 and (B) the product of (1) $0.10 multiplied by (2) the number of Additional Prepayments (as defined below) paid prior to the Closing Date (such amount in subclause (B), the “Aggregate Additional Prepayment Amount”).
On or prior to the last business day of each calendar month commencing after December 31, 2022, until the earlier of (a) the Closing Date and (b) the termination of the Merger Agreement in accordance with its terms, JetBlue will pay or cause to be paid to the holders of record of outstanding Shares as of a date not more than five business days prior to the last business day of such month, an amount in cash equal to $0.10 per Share (such amount, the “Additional Prepayment Amount,” each such monthly payment, an “Additional Prepayment”). During 2023, JetBlue made an aggregate of $131 million in Additional Prepayments to Spirit shareholders resulting in a total prepayment of $403 million and $25 million in payments to Spirit for the reimbursement of Frontier transaction costs. These payments are included in other assets in the Company's consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2023.
The Closing is subject to the satisfaction or waiver of certain closing conditions, including, among other things, the receipt of Spirit stockholder approval, which was obtained on October 19, 2022, the receipt of applicable regulatory approvals, and the absence of any law or order prohibiting the consummation of the transactions.
Spirit, JetBlue, and Merger Sub each make certain customary representations, warranties and covenants, as applicable, in the Merger Agreement, and the Merger Agreement contains certain termination rights for JetBlue and Spirit which, in certain cases, will result in the payment of termination fees by JetBlue or Spirit, as applicable.
Refer to Note 3 for further detail of the $3.5 billion Senior Secured Bridge Facility commitment to fund the purchase of Spirit.
In March 2023, the U.S. Department of Justice, along with the Attorneys General of six states and the District of Columbia, 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. On February 2, 2024, the Court of Appeals ordered that the appeal shall be fully briefed by April 25, 2024 and will contemplate argument during the court's June sitting.
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. On October 11, 2023, the court partially granted summary judgment in the Private Merger Lawsuit and dismissed all but two of the private plaintiffs for lack of standing. On October 25, 2023, private plaintiffs filed a notice that they intend to appeal that decision. The Private Merger Lawsuit does not yet have a trial date.
An adverse ruling in the Private Merger Lawsuit and/or an unsuccessful appeal of the Government Merger Lawsuit could adversely impact our ability to consummate the Merger or achieve the intended benefits of the Merger and could have an adverse impact on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.