Frontier Airlines (F9, Denver International) is attempting to ward off efforts by trustees for AMCK Aviation to ground or impound fourteen A320-200Ns, with the airline seeking an injunction in the US District Court this week to prevent this.
The carrier has taken action against Wells Fargo Trust Company and UMB Bank as owner-trustees of AMCK Aviation, telling the US District Court (New York Southern District) that taking the 14 aircraft out of service would have a "devastating" impact on day-to-day services. Frontier Airlines operates 128 aircraft, all Airbus narrowbodies. If Frontier fails in its bid, it will lose almost 14% of its fleet. The matter is the latest instalment in a long running dispute between Frontier and AMCK, which Carlyle Aviation Partners acquired last year.
ch-aviation research has identified the aircraft as N326FR (msn 8102); N331FR (msn 8239); N332FR (msn 8307); N336FR (msn 8357); N338FR (msn 8402); N349FR (msn 8766); N350FR (msn 8857); N351FR (msn 8913); N353FR (msn 8977); N354FR (msn 9026); N358FR (msn 9068); N359FR (msn 9177); and N370FR (msn 10038).
Despite its displeasure at Carlyle's acquisition of AMCK, which Frontier says it learned about via a press release, the airline says it has continued to meet its lease obligations per the original contracts. It also proposed a series of assignments to protect its rights and told the court the aircraft's new owners then threatened to declare a lease default and ground or impound the planes.
ch-aviation has contacted Frontier Airlines and AMCK Aviation Holdings for comment.
