Frontier Airlines has become the latest US carrier to defer Airbus deliveries, after JetBlue and Spirit Airlines recently announced similar strategies.
Frontier Airlines, a leading ultra-low-cost carrier, confirmed the move on August 8, 2024, with the release of its second quarter 2024 financial results.
As of June 2024, Frontier had commitments for 49 A320neo aircraft and 149 A321neo aircraft to be delivered through 2029. However, 54 jets are now set to arrive between 2029 and 2031.
With 11 A321neos expected to be delivered this year, Frontier has rescheduled the remaining orderbook of 187 aircraft.
In 2025, 21 jets will arrive instead of 42. In 2026, 21 will arrive instead of 44; in 2027, 34 will be delivered instead of 42; and in 2028, 34 will be delivered instead of 40.
In 2029, there will be 36 new arrivals instead of the 22 originally planned. From 2030 onwards, 40 aircraft are due to arrive.
Frontier claims that lowering aircraft inductions over the next four years should reduce the airline’s finance needs and commitments.
Additionally, in a SEC filing on August 8, 2024, Frontier announced that it will no longer purchase any of Airbus’ eagerly anticipated jet, the A321XLR, and will convert 18 A320neo to A321neo aircraft.
The Airbus A321XLR is now ready to enter service, with the long-range single-aisle jet having been awarded Type Certification by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) on July 19, 2024.
On August 1, 2024, Spirit Airlines also confirmed that it had deferred all aircraft on order from Airbus. Jets scheduled to be delivered in the second quarter of 2025 through to the end of 2026 will now be arriving between 2030 and 2031.
Earlier the same week, JetBlue announced that it is to postpone the delivery of 44 A321neo aircraft beyond 2030.
As of June 2024, Frontier currently operates an all-A320-family fleet of 148 aircraft and claims to be ‘America’s Greenest Airline’, measured in terms of fuel efficiency.
