Originally Posted by
davywavy
That is what some of us assume may happen. The CEO has said that they want to do it, but they don't - presently - have a plane with "the right engine performance."
Both he and CFO have said they are looking for ways to solve the problem, and - I assume - it might mean a new, as in factory fresh, aircraft, such as the A319 with sharklets, because the retrofit isn't yet available for the A319. Airbus says the sharklets improve take off performance
As to the engine, I'm no Tech Wallah. Frontier has 10 or 11 A319's with the uprated engines - I don't know if the CFM can be upgraded again.
I was surprised that they were able to use the A320 at TTN one day, as a sub for an out of service A319, and that the plane (empty, on arrival from PHL) purposely used the shorter runway to land. The A320 then flew TTN-FLL-TTN with a commercial load.
There are rumours from semi-reliable sources that the problem has been solved, but I have heard nothing from anyone at Frontier, other than the CFO's recent reiteration of their determination to be able to fly TTN-DEN.
Actually, I don't see why they can't use the A320 - not to Denver, but on their present routes, since some of these A319s are now bursting at the seams with passengers. Gibraltar - one of the world's most infamous airports, due in part to winds and due in part to the highway that crosses it - is also 6000' long, and both Monarch and BA use 320-200s for flights to London -- which is about 950 nm, according to Google Earth. Every Frontier flight at present is less than 900 nm (MSY was longer, but they no longer fly there). If you can do it from Gibraltar, (which uses the Mediterranean as its EMAS system), then it should be doable from TTN.