AirTran Reporter

Joined: 17 Jun 2005
Posts: 341
Location: Indianapolis

According to USAToday, travel section, Frontier is making some cuts.

"Frontier making big cuts, axing Hartford and Louisville
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The Rocky Mountain News notes that Southwest detailed its latest Denver growth plans (see above) "just hours after competitor Frontier Airlines, which is operating in Chapter 11 bankruptcy, announced that it will ground seven planes and cut service here (in Denver) by 17%. Despite the timing of those announcements, Southwest said it had been planning the expansion for months." Southwest spokesman Chris Mainz tells the paper: "I understand the perception, and we certainly pay attention to the market and what's going on with our competitors there. But this was an announcement we had on the books for a while. Denver is a growth city for us right now, and we will try to continue to grow there when we can."

As for Frontier's cuts, The Associated Press notes that the carrier "plans to trim capacity, planes and eventually jobs this fall and winter as it deals with a slumping economy and rising fuel costs. â?¦ Frontier also will cut its Airbus fleet by seven more planes, on top of the four planes it agreed to sell earlier this year. The fleet cuts will be phased in, beginning in mid-August." The airline also warned of "proportional" job cuts. The Denver Post adds "the reductions are the first major impacts to service and staffing since Denver-based Frontier filed for bankruptcy protection in April. They follow similar, though somewhat less rapid, cutbacks at other airlines as the industry struggles with record-high fuel costs."

"This is unavoidable," Leeham Co. aviation consultant Scott Hamilton tells the Rocky Mountain News. "With fuel this high the business models just don't work, period. I'd bet even their No. 1 market is not even making money, so at this point they're cutting their worst losses," he says. The paper adds that Frontier is ending all service to both Hartford, Conn., and Louisville, Ky.

Elsewhere, the Rocky Mountain News says Frontier will cut "the number of daily flights this fall between Denver and 22 cities. Some of the cities losing frequency from Denver: Atlanta, Dallas-Fort Worth, Chicago Midway, Indianapolis, Phoenix, Seattle and San Francisco. Each will lose one daily flight, with the exception of Indianapolis, which will lose two daily flights. Three cities, though -- Albuquerque, Wichita, Kan., and San Antonio -- will gain one daily flight."

Site Admin

Joined: 15 Jun 2005
Posts: 2316
Location: Indianapolis, IN

I think they are probably returning to the fall schedule they had last year. They added an extra flight this summer over last year. It just sounds like a return to normal fall ops. At least for here. I don't think IND-DEN can support all the added traffic. There just isn't enough demand for 3 full time carriers. So don't be shocked if they cut another flight. Or even leave completely. Too much competition and I doubt IND is vital to them.

AirTran Reporter

Joined: 17 Jun 2005
Posts: 341
Location: Indianapolis

I wonder if the flight I am scheduled to take is one of the ones being axed. it won't matter anyway as I will be in vegas