Frontier Will Discontinue Schedule Air Service To Provo

Frontier Airlines has been offering scheduled flights to the Provo airport, but will discontinue that service at the beginning of 2013. Provo Mayor John Curtis made that announcement today after consulting with the airline.

The announcement comes as a setback for Provo, which has been experiencing rapid growth in both population and business base. Frontier recently went through Chapter 11 bankruptcy and is looking for new investors. Provo officials are optimistic that Frontier or some other airline will pick up the service in the future.

The Provo Herald has this news article about the announcement. Below are excerpts.

Helen Anderson, Provo city spokeswoman, said Provo officials knew the airport wasn't Frontier's best performing location, and when the airline had to cut service because its fleet was reduced Provo was on the chopping block.

But, Anderson said, Frontier told Provo officials that the route was considered profitable. In fact, just a few weeks before Frontier made the decision to cut Provo it had announced it was going to start flying a larger plane into the city's airport.

Anderson said Provo considers the venture successful, especially since Frontier was the first commercial carrier to fly out of the Provo Airport and because the route was profitable in such a short amount of time. Frontier started flying out of the Provo Airport in mid-2011.

Curtis noted that Provo has had great momentum with economic development and growth. Announcements like this bring the city back to real life and a need to push a little harder.