Frontier Airlines just took a major swing at down, but not quite yet out Spirit Airlines. The Denver based ultra-low-cost carrier (ULCC) just announced a slew of new routes focused on Spirit’s hubs. Spirit is trying to stave off bankruptcy for the second time in under a year.
Frontier Moves in on Spirit’s Focus Cities
It’s no secret that Spirit is struggling financially and Frontier smells blood in the water. The ULCC announced today that it is it is committing to being the number one low-fare carrier in the top 20 U.S. metro areas.
Its first areas of focus, 20 routes from Detroit (DTW), Houston (IAH), Baltimore (BWI), Fort Lauderdale (FLL), Charlotte (CLT), and Dallas (DFW). With the exception of Charlotte and Baltimore, all airports are operating bases for Spirit.
Barry Biffle, Chief Executive Officer of Frontier Airlines, said this about the expansion:
“Frontier is not just about delivering low fares – we’ve made major enhancements, from product upgrades to the most rewarding loyalty program, and investments in technology and service, as part of The New Frontier. That’s why Frontier is America’s Low Fare Airline, delivering the best value every day – and we see a clear path to being the number one low-fare carrier in the top 20 U.S. metros.”
Specifically, Frontier is launching the following routes which will operate between 1x and 3x weekly.
| Route | Service Begins | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| Baltimore (BWI) to Cancun (CUN) | November 22, 2025 | 1x Weekly |
| Baltimore (BWI) to/from Fort Lauderdale (FLL) | November 20, 2025 | 3x Weekly |
| Baltimore (BWI) to/from Houston (IAH) | November 20, 2025 | 3x Weekly |
| Baltimore (BWI) to/from New Orleans (MSY) | February 12, 2026 | 2x Weekly |
| Charlotte (CLT) to/from Detroit (DTW) | November 23, 2025 | 2x Weekly |
| Charlotte (CLT) to/from Fort Lauderdale (FLL) | November 21, 2025 | 3x Weekly |
| Dallas (DFW) to/from Fort Lauderdale (FLL) | November 20, 2025 | 3x Weekly |
| Dallas (DFW) to/from New Orleans (MSY) | February 13, 2026 | 2x Weekly |
| Detroit (DTW) to Cancun (CUN) | November 22, 2025 | 1x Weekly |
| Detroit (DTW) to/from Fort Lauderdale (FLL) | November 20, 2025 | 3x Weekly |
| Detroit (DTW) to/from Houston (IAH) | November 21, 2025 | 3x Weekly |
| Detroit (DTW) to/from Miami (MIA) | November 21, 2025 | 3x Weekly |
| Detroit (DTW) to/from New Orleans (MSY) | February 12, 2026 | 2x Weekly |
| Fort Lauderdale (FLL) to/from Chicago (ORD) | November 20, 2025 | 3x Weekly |
| Houston (IAH) to/from Fort Lauderdale (FLL) | November 22, 2025 | 1x Weekly |
| Houston (IAH) to Guatemala City, Guatemala (GUA) | December 18, 2025 | 3x Weekly |
| Houston (IAH) to/from New Orleans (MSY) | February 13, 2026 | 2x Weekly |
| Houston (IAH) to/from Philadelphia (PHL) | November 21, 2025 | 3x Weekly |
| Houston (IAH) to San Salvador, El Salvador (SAL) | December 19, 2025 | 3x Weekly |
| Houston (IAH) to San Pedro Sula, Honduras (SAP) | December 20, 2025 | Weekly |
When you dig into the 20 routes that Frontier is adding, one thing is clear, it is coming after Spirit.
What’s Next for Spirit and Frontier?
With Spirit’s struggles widely publicized, I believe that Frontier is making a play for some, if not all, of Spirit. Frontier already made multiple attempts to merge with the Dania Beach, Florida based carrier during its bankruptcy and each time it was rejected by Spirit’s board.
Now, signs are pointing toward a merger because, as one of my aviation buddies put it, “what else is left?” Another sign that points towards a merger is the fact that the Indigo Partners corporate jet, which has the controlling interest in Frontier as well as a stake in Mexican ULCC Volaris, landed in Fort Lauderdale, the closest airport to Spirit’s headquarters, yesterday.
The most telling thing to me comes from the Frontier route announcement. CEO Barry Biffle stated:
“As industry capacity adjusts, we want to ensure consumers in those markets continue to have affordable flight options.”
With a statement like that, it sounds like Frontier will be the reason that capacity adjusts in the ULCC industry.
Summary
Frontier Airlines has taken direct aim at Spirit in its latest route announcement. The Denver based ULCC clearly smells blood in the water and I wouldn’t be surprised to see the two carriers merge in the near future.