Justice Department sues to block JetBlue merger with Spirit Airlines

The Justice Department on Tuesday filed a lawsuit to stop the proposed merger between JetBlue and Spirit Airlines.

The $3.8 billion merger would create the nation's fifth-largest airline, and would be the first U.S. airline merger since 2016 when Alaska Airways bought Virgin Atlantic.

In a Justice Department news conference, Attorney General Merrick Garland said the merger would hurt those who "can least afford to see travel costs rise."

"Ultra-low-cost carriers like Spirit play a key role in the economy," he said. "They make air travel possible so more Americans...