FLL Gate Assignment Matrix

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Yesterday | 09:56 PM

#11

Mickey

Thread Starter

At the H-Line

Joined: Sep 2025

Posts: 80

Likes: 42

Quote:

Originally Posted by 11atsomto

Thank you for doing this research. I also grow very tired of the “Well I heard at Standards”, “a guy I know at TK”, or “a guy on my jumpseat” types.

I certainly don’t have the time to research these things, so Thanks for doing so.

My question to you is:

Since Spirit has ceased operations, would FLL still be an AIAR 21 airport?……since I don’t know but I would guess JetBlue doesn’t account for greater than 50% of traffic…in fact Wikipedia states <20%…..maybe you have more accurate stats.

If however this is not the case….would the very transparent gate distribution process (that was so well explained by you) still be legally mandated?

You’re welcome! I’m tired of the rumors too. And the chat gpt “1 minute research”. I think we can all benefit from reading from the sources.

Anyways, to answer your question, it’s still covered, but only because the FAA runs on a two year data lag. The current list draws from numbers that still show Spirit alive and well. Once that data catches up with reality, the combined share of the top two carriers drops well below fifty percent and FLL comes off the list. That will probably happen in the next update cycle.

Losing covered status does not free the county to hand the place to one airline. Gate access rules are also established into the local lease and the schedule submission policy, not AIR-21. Preferential non-exclusive gates, utilization standards, the priority ladder, those all stay put.

The long term functions of anll of this are the FAA grant assurances. FLL takes federal money, so the county is bound by Grant Assurance 22 and 23 for the life of the airport. No exclusive rights. No unjust discrimination. Any carrier can file a Part 16 complaint and put the airport's funding at risk if the county ever tried to lock things up.

So yes, FLL is technically still on the covered list, but the protections that prevent a JetBlue sweep don't depend on that label. They're in the lease and the grant provisions, all of which can be found on FLL’s website. ++ for them being so transparent, lol. The covered designation is just an administrative reporting headache, and it seems like it will sunset sooner than later.

Yesterday | 10:14 PM

#12

elps

On Reserve

Joined: Sep 2016

Posts: 28

Likes: 10

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mickey

Sort of the case, not exactly though. Once the airport establishes a plan, it shifts to an update categorized as OWT, or only when triggered. In addition, the FY 26 plan is based on FY 24 emplacement data, so in a way, it’s a 2 year data lag. So in this case, it drops below 50% in FY 26, so by that metric, it’ll reflect in the FY 28 plan.

Source: https://www.faa.gov/airports/aip/com...-airports-list

It's a 9-month lag, it just seems like 2 years because of how the years are labeled. FY27 starts on October 1, 2026. It will use data for the calendar year ending December 31, 2025.

Today | 06:24 AM

#13

Flyby1206

SDQ Base Chief

Joined: Mar 2006

Posts: 6,084

Likes: 46

From: 320 CA

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mickey

I spent some time looking through the actual agreements and FAA documents because I was tired of hearing guys insist JetBlue will just absorb everything. The reality is more structured and more complex than that. BCAD is actually very transparent about the process and all of these documents I pulled this information from are posted to the BCAD website.

Really great work, thanks so much for doing this

Today | 01:45 PM

#14

OFFCOURSE

Line Holder

Joined: Sep 2021

Posts: 283

Likes: 76

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mickey

I totally agree with the sentiment. I grew up in FLL and I would love nothing more than to have a base back there, but even with that I think it still makes no sense for us as a company. The margins are low and the JB agreement we have sort of gets what we want out of it for now.

Ultimately, I’m sure Willis is looking into it and will make the best decision given the data they have, but for the time being I’m sick of hearing the “well buy the gates” and the “JetBlue is already taking them” rumors.

No money in south fla domestic flying with the spring break type travelers , especially not domestic out of Fll. Not worth the expansions. Maybe some South America routes from MIA would make more sense .

Last edited by OFFCOURSE; Today at 02:08 PM.

Today | 02:45 PM

#15

Mickey

Thread Starter

At the H-Line

Joined: Sep 2025

Posts: 80

Likes: 42

Quote:

Originally Posted by elps

It's a 9-month lag, it just seems like 2 years because of how the years are labeled. FY27 starts on October 1, 2026. It will use data for the calendar year ending December 31, 2025.

That is not what the source documents say. Where are you getting that from?

Today | 05:24 PM

#16

elps

On Reserve

Joined: Sep 2016

Posts: 28

Likes: 10

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mickey

That is not what the source documents say. Where are you getting that from?

https://www.faa.gov/airports/aip/com...-airports-list

> The FY26 list is based on CY 2024 enplanement data.

Therefore the FY27 list will be based on CY 2025 enplanement data.

FY27 starts October 1, 2026. CY25 ended December 31, 2025.