Frontier Airlines' on-time performance hiccups in summer 2016; IPO still in abeyance

Frontier Airlines began 2016 making meaningful strides in its on-time performance, besting its closest US ULCC rival Spirit Airlines. But its performance in the busy summer months of Jun-2016 and Jul-2016 slipped, due largely to challenges in ground handling. Now Frontier faces the task of restoring its OTP to consistently higher levels.

Frontier's network composition is slightly different from those of the two other US ULCCs, Allegiant and Spirit. Its average weekly frequencies fall between those offered by its ULCC counterparts and, in some ways, Frontier's network changes seem more rapid than those of other ultra-low cost airlines as it works to tailor the ULCC model to its specific strategy.

As a privately held company, Frontier does not discuss its growth prospects as freely as Allegiant and Spirit. But the airline has an ample pipeline of Airbus deliveries that will drive its growth over the medium to long term. During the past year the prospect of an IPO to fund Frontier's growth has surfaced and quietened down; but at some point in the not-too-distant future the company's investors will seek rewards for their endeavours.