Frontier Airlines (F9, Denver International) is evaluating options to launch long-haul flights to Europe, South America, and Hawaii starting in 2026, when it is set to take its first A321-200NY(XLR)s, Chief Executive Barry Biffle said at the World Routes 2022 conference.
Biffle underlined that no decisions have been made yet regarding potential destinations but admitted that he had been approached by representatives of various airports, including Shannon. He underlined that on top of enabling the LCC to reach more destinations, it would also be able to connect points already in its network but without direct connections, such as the US West Coast and the Caribbean.
Frontier's international network currently comprises just ten destinations in Mexico, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, El Salvador, and the Bahamas.
Biffle also said that Frontier was studying opportunities for diversifying its cabin layout with the (XLR)s and adding extra-legroom seats.
"Everybody wants more [legroom]. The question is, are they willing to pay more? It's a square footage game. There's so much square footage on the plane. And what's the best configuration to generate the most revenue? It's not taboo for me to have a premium product, but we've got to look at it," he emphasised.
The ch-aviation fleets module shows that Frontier Airlines has eighteen A321-200NY(XLR)s on firm order from Airbus. The ULCC's current fleet comprises fourteen A320-200s, eighty-one A320-200Ns, twenty-one A321-200s, and a single A321-200NX. Besides the (XLR)s, the airline's order book comprises a further fifty A320-200Ns and 157 A321-200Ns.
