JetBlue has won the bidding for a total of 22 takeoff and landing slots at New York’s LaGuardia airport from bankrupt Spirit Airlines. The winning bid of $58.5 million grants JetBlue 12 daily departure slots and 10 arrival slots at one of the most congested airports in the US.

The sale, which was approved by bankruptcy court last week, could give JetBlue options for adding up to 12 round-trip flights out of LaGuardia. According to Federal Aviation Administration records, JetBlue already had 31 slots at LaGuardia, and additional services are unlikely to begin before 2027.

As part of the auction for the Spirit slots at LaGuardia, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the airport, required the winning bidder to pick up the lease for Terminal A, known as the Marine Air Terminal. Spirit operated out of this facility until it ceased operations in May.

JetBlue had previously operated out of Terminal A, but moved to Terminal B in 2022. Operating out of the historic Marine Air Terminal could give JetBlue some cost savings as they expand LGA services, according to industry analysts.

The terminal’s Art Deco architecture is a designated historic landmark, dating back to “the Golden Age of the Flying Boat,” when Pan American Clippers took off from the waters around Flushing Bay. Today the 1980s-era boarding areas and gates will, which are not part of the landmark designation, are continuing to undergo renovations.