JetBlue issued the following statement regarding the amended Frontier-Spirit merger agreement:

"The Spirit Board of Directors’ conflicts continue to guide their every move. Today’s announcement demonstrates why, in their shareholders’ best interest, they should negotiate with us in good faith – which, yet again, they have failed to do. Spirit’s Board only went back to Frontier under pressure, when it became increasingly clear their shareholders would decisively reject the Spirit Board’s flawed process and Frontier’s inferior transaction.

The addition of a reverse termination fee in the face of a likely defeat is simply an acknowledgement that the regulatory profiles and timelines of both deals are indeed similar. Spirit had already admitted that its own prior unreasonably optimistic projections of receiving approval this year were in fact not accurate. Experts agree both transactions will receive the same level of scrutiny.

JetBlue will review and assess the revised terms of the amended merger agreement once it has been made available. We believe we have put forward a clearly superior offer and remain prepared to negotiate in good faith a consensual transaction at $33, subject to receiving necessary diligence. We urge Spirit shareholders to continue to let the Spirit Board know they want an open, fair process, providing us a level playing field and full access to the same information available to Frontier. There is still time for the Spirit Board to do the right thing for their shareholders."