Frontier Airlines, an ultra-low-cost airline, was established on February 8, 1994, and commenced its operations on July 5, 1994. The airline, headquartered in Denver, Colorado, operates flights to over 100 destinations within the United States and more than 31 international destinations. With a workforce of over 3,000 employees, it functions as a subsidiary under the Indigo Partners, LLC brand and maintains a hub at Denver International Airport.

History in the 1990s

In 1993, as Continental Airlines scaled back many flights from Denver's Stapleton International Airport, M.C. Hank, the former CEO of the original Frontier Airlines, was brought in as CEO, along with Sam Addoms as the executive vice-president and treasurer. Scheduled flights began on July 5, 1994, utilizing Boeing 737-200 jetliners to connect Denver with four cities in North Dakota. Nearly three-quarters of the 180 employees, including many executives, had previously worked for the original Frontier Airlines. By January 1995, Frontier expanded its route network from Denver, serving destinations in New Mexico, North Dakota, Texas, Nevada, Nebraska, Arizona, and Montana.

In 1999, the airline signed agreements to acquire Airbus A318 and A319 jet aircraft and introduced Boeing 737-300 jetliners to its fleet. By September 1999, Frontier was serving destinations coast-to-coast across the United States.

2000s

In 2001, the airline took delivery of its first Airbus aircraft, launching in-flight television with DirecTV and unveiling a new company livery. Frontier Airlines became the launch customer for the Airbus A318 in 2003, eventually transitioning to an all-Airbus fleet in mid-April 2005. Jeff Potter was appointed as CEO in 2002.

The airline underwent reorganization in early 2006, establishing Frontier Airlines Holdings (FRNT), a Delaware-based holding company to leverage tax laws. It also launched a commuter airline subsidiary, Lynx Aviation, chaired by Dr. Paul Stephen Dempsey. On January 24, 2007, the United States Department of Transportation designated the airline as a primary carrier.

Frontier filed for bankruptcy on April 10, 2008, in response to the intention of its credit card processor, First Data, to withhold approximately 100% of ticket sale proceeds starting May 1.

2010

In October 2010, Frontier Airlines fully merged with Midwest Airlines, and the regional partners jointly operated over 100 daily flights from the Milwaukee hub. On September 9, 2011, the airline announced a 40% reduction in arriving and departing flights from MKE, resulting in layoffs for approximately 140 MKE employees. In February 2012, the airline further reduced Milwaukee services by discontinuing five nonstop routes and announcing corresponding layoffs. On January 26, 2012, former US Airways and Gate Gourmet CEO David Siegel was appointed by Republic Airways Holdings.

Management Changes

Dave Siegel assumed the CEO role in January 2012 and served until May 2015 when he departed for personal reasons. He was succeeded by the company's Chairman, Bill Franke, who managed the airline's strategy and finances.

Former Regional Carriers

Frontier Airlines introduced Frontier JetExpress, its first regional product, initially operated by Mesa Airlines using CRJ-200 regional jets. This service targeted markets to and from Denver that did not generate sufficient traffic to support the company's smallest mainline jets.