Frontier Airlines (F9, Denver International) has announced it has reached an agreement with Airbus to defer deliveries of 54 aircraft with original delivery dates in 2025-2028, to 2029-2031, lowering fleet inductions in each of the next four years, and reducing its planned growth to approximately 10% per year from the previous expectation which was close to 20%.
Additionally, the ULCC informed Airbus that it “will not purchase” any A321-200NY(XLR)s and will instead convert eighteen A320neo it had on order to non-XLR A321neo variants. Frontier had revealed its intention to convert eighteen A320neo Family jets to eighteen A321neo(XLR)s back in June 2019, saying it expected to take delivery of the first XLR in 2024.
Frontier said its revised delivery schedule is:
- 2024: nine A321-200NX, and one engine;
- 2025: eight A320-200N, thirteen A321neo, and four engines;
- 2026: seven A320neo, fifteen A321neo, and four engines;
- 2027: eight A320neo, twenty-six A321neo, and three engines;
- 2028: four A320neo, thirty A321neo, and two engines;
- and thereafter: seventy-six A321neo.
During the airline's second-quarter investors call, Mark Mitchell, Frontier’s chief financial officer, said the deferrals further support its efforts to moderate growth, reduce financial need, and lower pre-delivery payments in the coming years.
Frontier Airlines reported USD31 million in net profit for the second quarter, which was above expectations but down year-on-year, on USD973 million in revenue.
