Frontier Airlines has launched 20 new routes, with several overlapping with Spirit Airline's key markets.
Frontier is adding new routes from Detroit, Houston, Baltimore, Fort Lauderdale, Charlotte, and Dallas. The routes will commence from late 2025 through early 2026.
With Spirit flagging a “going concern” earlier this month, Frontier said it expects further growth in 2026 as “industry capacity adjusts”.
Frontier Airlines CEO Barry Biffle said: “As industry capacity adjusts, we want to ensure consumers in those markets continue to have affordable flight options.”
Earlier this year, Spirit had rejected Frontier's third merger offer as it underwent restructuring.
A Frontier spokesperson said at the time: “We remain convinced that the combination of Spirit and Frontier would have created more value than Spirit's standalone plan. That said, we are disciplined acquirors and are focussed on delivering for Frontier shareholders at a time when our airline is performing well in a dynamic market environment.”
Spirit opted to go ahead with its standalone, premium rebrand. Amid economic uncertainties and its liquidity pressures, Spirit's restructuring plan has fallen short of expectations. Wall Street Journal reported yesterday that Spirit had hired advisers to explore strategic options.
Prior to having its third merger offer rejected, Frontier had previously warned Spirit, in a joint letter from chairperson Bill Franke and Biffle, that its standalone plan meant it would emerge “highly levered, losing money at the operating level" and said Frontier would not pursue a merger with Spirit in this state. Frontier had urged Spirit at the time that “time is of the essence” to accept the deal.