Frontier Airlines to start its own regional.
 

Frontier Airlines launches turboprop service
The Denver Business Journal - 11:09 AM MDT Wednesday
Frontier Airlines has entered into an agreement with Bombardier Inc. to purchase 10 74-seat Q400 turboprop aircraft, with an option open to purchase another 10 of the regional airliners, adding nearly 400 jobs.

Frontier (NASDAQ:FRNT) will use the new fleet to increase service in Colorado and the Rocky Mountain region, serving up to 18 cities. The added service will create 300 to 400 new jobs, most out of the airlines' Denver hub. Additional destinations have yet to be finalized.

The first of the Q400s is scheduled for delivery in May 2007, which Frontier plans to operate under a wholly owned subsidiary with its own operating certificate. Subsequent deliveries will continue throughout the year, with the full fleet scheduled to be in service by December 2007. Deliveries of the additional option aircraft, if exercised, would begin in March 2008.

Frontier is also seeking partners to operate up to 20 regional jet aircraft, to either augment or replace its existing fleet of nine CRJ-700 aircraft operated by Horizon Air as Frontier JetExpress.

"While we did approach our partners at Horizon about the Q400 operation, because they also operate Q400s, we concluded that we could drive this growth strategy more cost-effectively by purchasing and operating the aircraft under the Frontier Airlines Holdings Inc. umbrella," said Frontier President and CEO Jeff Potter, in a statement.

Tom Nunn, Frontier's current Vice President of Safety and Security, will lead the new subsidiary as President, Potter said.

The new airliners, with seats arranged two-by-two, will operate under the Frontier and Frontier JetExpress names. Passengers can expect to find the familiar menagerie of animals adorning the new fleets' tails.

So get ready for a new low in pay!! Horizon Q400 FO's will get first shot as they have time in type and will go directly to the left seat and skip the 7 year QX upgrade!

Actually I think it's a step in the right direction...anything bigger than 50 seats should be mainline. Hopefully the new guys will be on the frontier list.

Rick,
A first, but I have to disagree with you. size of the aircraft should not be the limiting factor on "where" the aircraft goes. I doubt that these employee's will be on any list other than their own. Flow through maybe (which usually suck)
St

I'd work there - Frontier seems like a great place.

I don't think you will be at Frontier. You will be under the holding company. It will be the same as Alaska and Horizon. They know that is a good model for them. The smaller t-prop operator will be exploited for its benefits i.e. Lower costs from cheaper labor, less expensive, smaller aircraft and rolling contracts. If the loads on a route are good enough then they will do it with main line flying. You can bet if somebody else can do it for cheaper in a few years F9 will deep six Frontier Prop Express.

Our upgrade is not 7 years, unless you are insisting on a certain domicile. Check the seniority list. 7 years will actually get you a left seat in the RJ in DEN (for now :) )

wholly owned subsidiaries are actually prob the better way to go, that way you dont have regionals outbidding each other to the bottom by getting the youngest pilots possible in ordder to get the least operating costs

:( No thanks Ill pass. looks like 200 more applicant's in denver welfare line for food stamps.
Wait I remember doing that a few weeks ago in Cali.:o

Isn't Comair wholly owned by Delta? How's that working out. Express Jet use to be wholly owned by Continental. How did that work out? I guess that worked out for the Continental guys.