One of Frontier’s five Airbus A320neo aircraft which feature more efficient LEAP engines (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Ryan Ewing)
The surge in passenger travel demand for this summer’s holiday travel season remains a prominent part of airline industry planning, even after Covid-19 forced many to stay at home for over a year. As lengthy border closures start to come to an end and rigorous entry requirements and restrictions begin to loosen, several major airlines are resuming flight operations on key routes and inaugurating new routes to accommodate the surge.
In response to the ongoing surge in demand for air travel, Frontier has increased connectivity within its route network by inaugurating new flights from Burbank, Calif. to three cities.
On Thursday, the low-cost carrier inaugurated its first flights to Denver, Phoenix and Las Vegas, operated on its Airbus A320 and A320neo airport, which are both currently powerhouses of its fleet. The airline plans to operate daily flights to the three cities, after originally announcing the addition of Burbank into its route network earlier this year in May.
“We’re thrilled to add Burbank to Frontier’s extensive route map with nonstop flights to Denver, Las Vegas and Phoenix taking off today,” Daniel Shurz, Frontier’s Senior Vice President of Commercial, said in a statement. “Frontier is focused on ‘Low Fares Done Right’ and our low fares combined with the convenience of flying from Hollywood Burbank Airport offers visitors and Southern Californians an unmatched travel experience this summer and beyond.”
The skies over Southern California are bustling with five major airports in the Los Angeles area alone. Before the beginning of summer, Hollywood Burbank Airport — one of the five — saw major, explosive growth in airline traffic, as fierce competition between carriers grew. For instance, earlier this year, Avelo Airlines, a newcomer to the airline industry who follows the ultra-low-cost business model, announced new flights from Burbank and used the airport as its hub on the West Coast, eventually beginning its first flights in April.
However, as Frontier enters Burbank, the Denver-based carrier’s decision plays a pivotal role in its ability to not only increase necessary connectivity but also provide the opportunity for the airline to compete with existing carriers in Burbank. In addition, as the carrier announced flights to Burbank, the airline announced the end of flights to nearby Los Angeles International Airport — commonly referred to by code LAX — in favor of the other, smaller airports in the area.
While LAX is the larger, busier airport in Southern California, the airport is home to the three major legacy carriers as well as being considered hubs for JetBlue and Alaska Airlines, as well as a focus city for Southwest. As a result, Frontier also planned to expand flight operations from Ontario, Calif. located west of LAX.
“We’re thrilled to grow again at Ontario International Airport with nonstop Atlanta flights and additional capacity to Denver this summer,” Shurz said in the statement. “With the addition of this new service, Frontier now offers nine nonstop destinations from [Ontario International Airport] this summer, the most of any airline serving the airport. We’re proud to expand our affordable service and look forward to welcoming Southern Californians onboard these new flights,” a philosophy accurately portrayed by the airline’s decision to add hundreds of more seats from different airports in the area to target more tourists and leisure travelers.
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