Spirit, Frontier airlines to merge
Two low-cost airlines that serve Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks have announced plans to merge in a $6.6 billion deal.
The deal combining Floridabased Spirit Airlines and Frontier Airlines, which is headquartered in Denver, is expected to close during the second half of this year. Officials with the two carriers claim the merger will benefit consumers with lower fares and more routes.
If approved, the merger will create the nation’s fifth-largest airline.
Spirit began providing service from Bradley in June 2017 and Frontier followed in 2018. Frontier offers seven nonstop destinations from Bradley, while Spirit offers six.
Ted Christie, president and chief executive officer of Spirit, said the deal with Frontier will “further democratize air travel.”
“This transaction is centered around creating an aggressive ultra-low fare competitor to serve our guests even better, expand career opportunities for our team members and increase competitive pressure,” Christie said in a statement.
Officials with Spirit and Frontier say the combined airline will add 10,000 jobs by 2026.
Barry Biffle, president and chief executive officer of Frontier, said the deal will “deliver more ultra-low fares to more people in more places.”
Alisa Sisic, a spokesperson for the Connecticut Airport Authority, which oversees Bradley operations, said officials “are closely monitoring” the proposed merger.
“To date, both airlines have been an integral part of the growing route network at Bradley International Airport,” Sisic said. “We look forward to learning more about their potential merger and what their unified and strengthened national presence may mean for the local market. At this time, there is no impact to our travelers.”
Michael Boyd, president of the Colorado-based airline consultant Boyd Group International, said the deal doesn’t make Bradley a less attractive option for travelers.
“It is still an incredibly viable access point,” Boyd said. “And by all accounts, both airlines are very happy with the routes they have from there.”
Connecticut travelers probably won’t see lower fares from the combined airlines as a result of the merger, he said.
“These carriers don’t compete out of Bradley and they really don’t fly any of the same routes,” Boyd said.
What it should do, he said, is put the new airline on more solid financial footing.
“The combined carriers lost $500 million in 2021 and the merger will remove one set of overhead,” Boyd said.
Both Spirit and Frontier target discretionary travelers, he said.
“A lot of those people wouldn’t
be traveling if the two airlines weren’t operating,” Boyd said. “They make air travel more of a consumer option.”