Frontier Airlines EarlyReturns - Frontier seeks communities for expanding regional service

http://www.bizjournals.com/denver/stories/2006/10/16/daily18.html


Frontier Airlines is gauging the level of interest in regional service the carrier is launching next year.

The airline (NASDAQ: FRNT) said Tuesday it issued a request for proposal this week to more than 50 communities within 1,200 miles of its Denver hub that want either regional jet or turboprop service.

The Denver-based carrier said last month it was buying 10, 74-seat turboprop aircraft with an option to purchase another 10. Frontier said it will fly the turboprop fleet to underserved markets in Colorado and the Rocky Mountains and serve as many as 18 destinations.

Frontier said the new service will begin in the middle of next year.


1200 miles from Denver (http://gc.kls2.com/cgi-bin/gc?PATH=&RANGE=1200mi%40DEN%0D%0A&PATH-COLOR=red&PATH-UNITS=mi&SPEED-GROUND=&SPEED-UNITS=kts&RANGE-STYLE=best&RANGE-COLOR=navy&MAP-STYLE=)

The local news also said that communities within 1200 miles of DEN that did not receive an RFP could submit their own RFP to Frontier for consideration.

While I agree that there are many underserved markets in the Rocky Mountain west, I have to question if Frontier will be able to turn a profit or keep an even keel with this venture. Don't get me wrong, I love frontier as an airline - primarily because I live in Denver. But I know of at least one small regoinal airline that would not keep afloat if not for gov't subsidized to some of the remote locations to which they fly.

I've passed this on to a member of the local airport authority.

They have become very aggressive lately.

I think a Q400 to SHV would work out great. We have sooooo many people who go to Colorado alone for skiing...then all of the Mountain Northwest is very difficult to get to from here. We have hunters/vacationers galore that need better access to areas where f9 serves.

You never know.....