Frontier Cutting up to 500 Jobs in Milwaukee

Is this the last 'Frontier' ?

Just days after Frontier Airlines announced that they would be cutting the number of flights from Milwaukee (32 to 18) the Denver-based carrier now announced yesterday that they be cutting 450-500 workers in the Milwaukee, Wisconsin area.

Frontier has been losing market share steadily at Milwaukee’s Mitchell International Airport and Republic Airways Holdings, who is Frontier’s parent company, is actively seeking a buyer:

“The loss of 500 jobs is a setback for the region,” [Milwaukee Mayor Tom] Barrett said in a statement. “My hope is that other airlines will step in and fill the void in this critically important market.”

At Denver International Airport, Frontier is being squeezed by United Airlines and Southwest Airlines, said Scott Hamilton, who operates Leeham Co., an aviation industry consulting firm based in Issaquah, Wash.

At Mitchell International Air port, Southwest and AirTran Airways, both low-fare carriers, have been taking market share from Frontier.

At the very least, Frontier’s Milwaukee operations will be greatly diminished, which Hamilton said will likely bring increased airfares for Milwaukee travelers.

It’s not looking good for Frontier. They’re getting killed by low cost powerhouses like Southwest and AirTran, and if they can’t compete with them, they’re toast.

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Image: jsonline.com/Mark Hoffman