By Claudia Assis
JetBlue reportedly hiring advisers to explore a potential deal
A JetBlue jet at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. The airline is reportedly exploring options to merge.
Shares of JetBlue Airways rallied by as much as 15% on Wednesday after a report said that it has hired advisers to explore selling itself to a competitor.
Wednesday's rally turned JetBlue shares positive for the year.
The specific scenario to explore would be how the Trump administration would view a deal with Alaska Airlines (AAL), Southwest Airlines (LUV) or United Airlines (UAL), Semafor said, citing people familiar with the matter.
Jetblue (JBLU) did not immediately return a request for comment. JetBlue already has a partnership with United, allowing people to book combined itineraries, among other perks.
JetBlue attempted to merge with Spirit Airlines (FLYYQ) in 2024, but bowed out after regulatory pushback that a merger between low-cost JetBlue and ultralow-cost Spirit would hurt competition. A proposed merger between Spirit and Frontier (ULCC) also fizzled.
Jetblue has struggled to catch up to U.S. majors United as well as Delta Air Lines (DAL) and American Airlines (AAL), which have placed winning bets on perks to attract and retain customers, and sometimes in direct competition for lower fares from the ultralow-cost carriers.
Until Tuesday's close, JetBlue's stock was down nearly 8% so far this year. Wednesday's rally pushed the stock to a gain of about 5% on the year. The U.S. Global Jets ETF JETS is down 10% this year, whereas the S&amp;P 500 index SPX has lost about 4%.
Budget air carriers Allegiant (ALGT) and Sun Country Airlines (SNCY) announced merger plans in January.
-Claudia Assis
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(END) Dow Jones Newswires
03-25-26 1623ET

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Shares of JetBlue Airways surged by 15% after reports of the airline hiring advisers to explore a potential merger with competitors like Alaska Airlines, Southwest Airlines, or United Airlines. This rally has turned JetBlue's stock positive for the year, recovering from an earlier decline of nearly 8%. The airline previously attempted a merger with Spirit Airlines but faced regulatory challenges. JetBlue's stock now shows a gain of about 5% year-to-date, contrasting with the broader decline in the airline sector and the S&P 500 index.

JetBlue's stock turns positive for the year on merger talk