"June Hearing Scheduled for JetBlue and Spirit Appeal of Blocked $3.8 Billion Merger"

JetBlue and Spirit Airlines will have to wait until June for a federal court to hear their appeal of a ruling that blocked JetBlue’s proposed $3.8 billion purchase of the smaller rival. The 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston set the schedule, ordering the airlines to file their pre-hearing briefs by February 26, with a response by the U.S. Justice Department due by April 11. The Justice Department sued to block the merger last year, citing concerns about reduced competition and increased fares, and a federal district judge in Boston sided with the government in January, blocking the deal.