Frontier Airlines

The original Frontier Airlines began in 1950 as a merger of Arizona Airways, Challenger Airlines, and Monarch Airlines. Headquartered in Denver, Frontier flew passengers and mail around the Rocky Mountain region including daily flights between Phoenix and Winslow. It was shut down in 1986. Frontier was sold to low-cost carrier People Express in 1985. Continental purchased the merged airline in 1986.

In Feb. 1994, Frontier Airlines was incorporated by a group that included executives of the original incarnation of Frontier Airlines and filed an application with the FAA for a Part 121 Operating Certificate. Founders put up $516,000 in "seed money." Former Frontier Horizon President, Hank Lund, was appointed as CEO.

In July 1994, Frontier Airlines service inaugurated with two Boeing 737-200s on routes from Denver to Bismarck, Fargo, Grand Forks and Minot, N.D. Frontier has 180 employees.

In 1996 new routes was added from Denver to: Omaha, Las Vegas, Chicago/Midway, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Salt Lake City, and San Francisco.

Frontier became a subsidiary of Republic Airlines in 2009. The airline was remade as an ultra low-cost carrier (ULCC) during 2014 after Indigo Partners acquired Frontier. For 2013 the airline carried 10.8 million passengers and for 2016 this jumped to 14.9 million on the strength of new ownership, management, and the low fares made possible by the a la carte method.
Frontier Airlines