Originally Posted by
jjbiv
Holding for a gate really doesn't have anything to do with the operator of the airport. If Frontier paid to lease additional gates or wanted to pay to use a common use gate, the airport authority would provide them with one if at all possible. Leasing is how airports earn a lot of their revenue.
From what I have gleaned over the years, the jetway and gate operations are a combined effort of airline staff and airport staff. As with most big companies , a lot of the truth of why things happen will never be known. But I know when I am riding towards MCO to depart, I always see open gates around Frontier and Spirit. Do they have agreements between airlines to help if space is needed? I don't know.