Frontier Airlines will reopen their pilot base in Chicago, serving both O’Hare and Midway airports. The carrier is also opening a new crew base at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport.
On Tuesday (November 21, 2023), Frontier Airlines announced that they will reopen their pilot base in Chicago, adding 110 pilot positions to the existing Flight Attendant base. The Chicago base will serve both O’Hare (ORD) and Midway (MDW) airports and will reopen in May 2024. Frontier previously maintained a pilot base in Chicago until April 2022, and the reopened base will house a total of 300 Frontier crew members. Combined with airport and maintenance positions, the Chicago base is expected to generate over $34 million in annual local wages over the coming years.
In Tuesday’s announcement, Frontier Airlines’ CEO, Barry Biffle, said,
“As we continue to grow in Chicago, it makes sense to establish a crew base to help support our expanding operations. Establishing a crew base is also a win for customers as it helps support smooth operations and provides a foundation to offer more ultra-low fares to more places.”
Also commenting on the base reopening, Chicago Department of Aviation’s Commissioner, Jamie L. Rhee, added,
“We welcome Frontier Airlines’ decision to re-establish its pilot base here in Chicago, which further bolsters our city’s position as a pivotal hub for the global aviation system. Importantly, this strategic move will allow the carrier to maintain their diverse and growing service at both O’Hare and Midway, keeping airfares competitive and enhancing options for Chicago consumers.”
In a separate press release on Tuesday (November 21, 2023), Frontier Airlines further announced the opening of a new crew base at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) from May 2024. The base is expected to employ around 80 pilots and 160 cabin crew members, and when combined with airport and maintenance positions, is expected to generate nearly $27 million in local wages annually.
Speaking on the opening of the new CVG base, Frontier’s CEO, Barry Biffle, added,
“The opening of a crew base will bring new jobs and meaningful wage impact to the greater Cincinnati area creating positive benefit for the airport and local community. Opening a crew base is also a win for customers who are able to take advantage of our ultra-low fares as we continue to grow at CVG and add new service over time.”
Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport’s Chief Executive Officer, Candace McGraw, added,
“We were very grateful when Frontier entered our market 10 years ago as our first low-cost carrier. Since the airline began service at CVG, they’ve experienced tremendous growth serving more than 7.8 million travelers. We welcome Frontier’s investment to open a crew base at CVG and we are appreciative of this vote of confidence in our region. This will positively impact both their frequency of service and our local economy through added jobs.”
Frontier Airlines (NASDAQ: ULCC) is committed to “Low Fares Done Right.” The Denver-based carrier operates 134 Airbus A320 Family aircraft and has the largest Airbus A320neo fleet in the U.S., delivering the highest level of fuel-efficiency and noise footprint reduction compared to previous generation models. Frontier offers customers the ability to customize travel to their needs and budget, including base fares, a-la-carte options and one low-priced bundle called the WORKS.
Frontier’s commitment to families includes their ‘Discount Den’ travel club which allows children 14 years and younger to fly free on qualifying flights. The airline’s family friendly FRONTIER Miles loyalty program allows guests to earn one mile for every mile flown and permits the family pooling of miles, making it easier to earn rewards. Frontier currently has over 220 new Airbus aircraft on order, which will help the airline continue to deliver on their mission of providing affordable travel across America.
Source: Frontier Airlines