Airport Will Continue To Recruit Airline Partners

Frontier Airlines will cease service at the Mobile Downtown Airport (KBFM) as of April 22, 2020. They will not likely return to Mobile any sooner than 2021. The Mobile Airport Authority thanks Frontier for investing in Mobile and for proving the concept illustrated in the FAA Feasibility Study published earlier this year.

The Frontier experience in Mobile is a success story. Since the opening of BFM on May 1, Frontier has served more than 40,000 passengers providing non-stop direct seasonal service to Denver and Chicago. Simply put, the planes were full. In a news release, the Mobile Airport Authority said it is disappointed that service will end, but they understand Frontier's business strategy to pursue opportunities recently presented at airports in large metro areas, such as Ontario (Los Angeles), Newark, and Miami.

“Carriers such as Frontier are often confronted with market opportunities they need to address,” stated Michael Boyd, president of Boyd Group International, an aviation consulting firm. “For example, the sudden decision by Southwest Airlines to pull out of New York’s Newark airport represented an alternative opportunity for Frontier to expand in the nation’s largest air market. That leads to the difficult decision to move aircraft from successful smaller markets such as Mobile.”

The fact that Frontier sees greener pastures does not diminish the success of the Mobile experience. The airport authority said it is thankful that Frontier has proven the concept, and the data from Frontier's involvement in Mobile has created a strong interest in KBFM from other carriers. "We are excited that Mobile is now part of the national battle to attract new carriers and cities due to our new airport at BFM," the authority said in a statement.

The Mobile Airport Authority will continue its successful recruitment of new low-cost carriers and is in active discussions with numerous airlines. Furthermore, efforts to transition all commercial air service from Mobile Regional Airport to the Mobile Downtown Airport are well underway.

(Source: Mobile Airport Authority news release)

FMI: www.mobileairportauthority.com