Frontier Airlines is ending service at Harrisburg International Airport effective May 13, according to HIA spokesperson Scott Miller.
- Frontier offers nonstop flights from HIA to Orlando and in previous years had offered a nonstop flight to Denver.
- The change is part of a larger reshuffling of Frontier routes, including the addition of 17 new flights around the U.S.
- “We periodically review and update routes based on demand, seasonality and other factors,” a Frontier spokesperson said. “We will continue to consider service from Harrisburg in the future as we routinely evaluate our route network.”
- Frontier was a relatively small player at HIA, accounting for 3.1% of the airport’s roughly 1.3 million passengers in 2023.
- American Airlines accounted for 40.8%, followed by Allegiant Air at 19.5%, according to HIA.
Why is this happening: Miller said Frontier and other ultra-low-cost carriers are adding routes where they believe their lower fares can attract customers away from American, Delta and United.
- The new routes also are expected to be more profitable.
- Frontier Airlines parent Frontier Group Holdings is still working to restore profitability following the Covid-19 pandemic, which iced air travel.
- The company lost $11 million last year, down from a loss of $37 million in 2022 and $102 million in 2021, according to its most recent annual report.
- When the company reported financial results last month, CEO Barry Biffle said in a statement that the company planned to boost profits by simplifying its network and “focusing growth on overpriced and underserved markets.”
The background: HIA has seen other airlines adjust their schedules.
- Allegiant is adding a flight from Harrisburg to Jacksonville, Florida, starting in June. Allegiant also flies from HIA to Orlando, Tampa and other Florida cities.
- United Airlines is dropping a flight to Newark, New Jersey, and adding a flight to Washington Dulles International Airport.
- The Newark flight was added when the airline dropped the Dulles flight two years ago, Miller said.
