Frontier Airlines (1950-1986)

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For the airline founded in 1994, see Frontier Airlines.

Frontier Airlines
IATA '	ICAO '	Callsign Frontier
Founded		1950
Hubs		Stapleton International Airport
Focus cities		Salt Lake City International Airport Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport Kansas City International Airport Lambert-St. Louis International Airport
Fleet size		60
Destinations		94 cities
Headquarters		Denver, Colorado
Key people		Ray Wilson, Bud Maytag, Lew Dymond, Al Feldman
Website: http://FAL-1.tripod.com

Frontier Airlines was formed by a merger of Arizona Airways, Challenger Airlines, and Monarch Airlines on June 1, 1950, with headquarters at Stapleton Field in Denver, Colorado. However, it dated its origin to November 27, 1946 when Monarch began service over routes in Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, and Arizona. It served cities in the Rocky Mountains area bounded by Salt Lake City, Utah to the west, Billings, Montana to the north, Denver, Colorado to the east and Phoenix, Arizona to the south. The new airline served 40 cities in the Rocky Mountain region with 12 DC3s. There were 400 employees.

Frontier flew DC-3s and started buying Convair 340s and 440s in 1959. In 1964 it became the first airline to fly the turbo-charged version of that model Convair, the 580. The CV580 was a CV340/440 equipped with GM Allison turbo-prop engines. It seated 50 passengers and carried 2 pilots and 1 flight attendant. It could have held 53 seats but that would have required a 2nd F/A. The aircraft had 3 cargo compartments: front belly, front top, and aft.

L.B. Maytag became President in 1955 after his family acquired controlling interest in the airline. The Maytag family sold their stock in March, 1962 to Goldfield Corp. The next month, on April 26, Maytag bought controlling interest in National Airlines and became President/Chief Executive Officer the same day.

Frontier expanded significantly on October 1, 1967 when they purchased Central Airlines, based in Ft. Worth, and integrated it into their system. The combined airline made Frontier one of the larger and stronger regional air carriers.

Lewis W. Dymond became President of Frontier after Maytag's departure and led Frontier into the jet age when Frontier started service with Boeing 727s on September 30, 1966 and called them Arrow-Jets. Al Feldman became president in March, 1971 and converted the jet fleet to Boeing 737s.

Frontier Airlines made history when they hired Emily Howell Warner on January 29, 1973. She was the first female airline pilot hired by a U.S. commercial airline. She was awarded her captain's wings three years later. Bob Ashby was hired the same day as Emily. He was Frontier's first black pilot and the only Tuskegee Airman to become a commercial airline pilot.

Its final logo (the stylized F) was created by Saul Bass and introduced April 30, 1978. By 1979 the airline had 5100 employees and operated 35 Boeing 737-200 and 25 Convair 580 aircraft while serving 94 cities in 26 states, Canada and Mexico.

Frontier Airlines had 10 presidents in its entire history and four in the last 4 years of its existence. Glen Ryland became the 7th President February 1, 1980 when he succeeded Al Feldman who moved to Continental Airlines as chief executive.

Frontier's fortunes started declining in 1982 and employee groups and unions began giving back wages and benefits to keep it alive. Ryland resigned November 6, 1984 and was replaced by Hank Lund, well known to employees from his many years as a vice president. He didn't last long. Joe O'Gorman, from United Airlines, took over in May, 1985. Many thought United would buy Frontier but it was not to be.

The employees' union coalition struggled to save the airline but their efforts failed. People Express bought Frontier October 5, 1985 and put Larry Martin in charge - Frontier's 10th and last President. They continued operating Frontier as a separate entity. The red ink became a flood by early Summer and it came to an end on August 24, 1986 when Frontier was shut down and bankruptcy filed a four days later.

On October 24, 1986, Continental Airlines, a Texas Air unit, bought both People Express and Frontier Airlines. They were merged into Continental on February 1, 1987 along with New York Air and all other Continental airline subsidiaries. Frontier's failure also doomed People Express, New York Air and four commuter carriers. It would take years to settle the pension disputes and lawsuits. Efforts were still being made in 2007 to settle ESOP accounts.

Frontier's last timetable was dated September 3, 1986. It never went into effect because the airline halted operations and filed bankruptcy the week before.

Frontier Airlines would die 40 years after its beginnings with Monarch Airlines in 1946. Operations ceased on August 24, 1986 and bankruptcy was filed 4 days later. Final bankruptcy proceedings ended on May 31, 1990 - exactly 40 years after Frontier was formed from the merger of Monarch, Challenger and Arizona airlines.

Another airline, also titled Frontier Airlines, was founded by previous executives of this airline in 1994.