The airline is expanding in former Spirit markets while eyeing Spirit assets for potential acquisition, but CEO pledges to remain “disciplined”
Frontier Airlines chief executive James Dempsey believes his airline is “best” positioned to fill defunct Spirit Airlines position in the US market.
The Denver-based budget carrier overlapped with Spirit on more than 100 routes and plans to bolster its schedule with nine more former-Spirit markets this summer, he said on 5 May during Frontier’s first-quarter earnings call.
Frontier’s planned growth will target former Spirit strongholds of Dallas Fort Worth International, Detroit, Fort Lauderdale, Las Vegas and Orlando.
“Given our network, low cost structure and disciplined approach to capacity deployment, Frontier is best positioned to provide low fares and the best value in those markets,” Dempsey says.
Frontier estimates achieving a revenue-per-available-seat-mile (RASM) gain in former Spirit markets of 3-5 percentage points.
Miramar, Florida-based Spirit shut down early Saturday after failing to secure a bailout from the US government. The airline had lost money since 2019 and filed for bankruptcy twice in two years, in 2024 and 2025.
Wall Street analysts widely view Frontier, having an ultra-low-cost business model similar to Spirit’s, as the most-likely beneficiary of the latter’s closure. The airlines overlapped in roughly 35% of Spirit’s markets, Raymond James estimates in a recent report. JetBlue Airways also stands to gain from Spirit’s exit.
JetBlue said Saturday it will add to its network 11 former Spirit routes from Fort Lauderdale. New York-based JetBlue aims to grow at the South Florida airport to roughly the size of its Boston base, or by about 40 daily departures.
Spirit will begin liquidating and selling assets quickly, ridding itself of owned aircraft, gates, airport holdings including gates and slots, and other assets, the airline’s estate told a US bankruptcy court on Monday.
“We will look at assets that come out during that wind down,” Frontier’s Dempsey says, citing potential aircraft acquisitions. He insists Frontier will stay “disciplined” in its approach to acquisition and growth opportunities arising from Spirit’s demise.
Frontier’s primary goal remains regaining profitability, Dempsey says.
Travel demand for Frontier remained strong in the first quarter, with the airline’s adjusted RASM increasing 18% year-over-year on a 1% decrease in capacity. Frontier hiked fares five times, finance chief Robert Schroeter says.
Still, Frontier reported a $283 million first-quarter operating loss — more than five times its loss one year ago. Significantly greater aircraft rent, maintenance and fuel expenses contributed to the loss.
The post Frontier ‘best’ positioned to fill Spirit’s gap in US market: CEO first appeared on FlightGlobal.