Frontier to End South Bend Service
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowFrontier Airlines is pulling out of South Bend. Officials with the South Bend Airport say the airline, which is a unit of Indianapolis-based Republic Airways Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq: RJET), will end nonstop service to Denver in September. Airport Executive Director Mike Daigle says the airline was not able to make the route profitable. July 15, 2013
News Release
South Bend, IN. – Frontier Airlines has announced it will depart from South Bend Airport (SBN) for the final time on Tuesday, September 10, 2013.
Frontier began service at SBN on October 11, 2012 with nonstop service to Denver four times weekly on a 138-seat Airbus 319 aircraft. Load factors have ranged from 70% to a peak of 85% in March. Through May, the Frontier flights were 79% full on average.
“When we began service to Denver, the data showed that we should have been able to get travelers to start their westward flights locally from SBN instead of driving to other larger airports,” said Mike Daigle, SBN’s Executive Director. “Unfortunately, although nonstop traffic to Denver did increase, Frontier was not able to remain profitable on this route.”
According to the US Department of Transportation, Denver was the twenty-second most flown to destination from South Bend in 2011. At the end of 2012, Denver became a top 10 destination of SBN travelers. Frontier’s arrival and service at SBN proved westward demand. SBN officials continue to meet with other airlines to recruit additional service to new destinations.
South Bend Airport remains the most convenient way for Michiana travelers to fly with nonstop flights to nine destinations and connections worldwide. Conveniences include easy access from the north, south, east and west; close-in and valet parking; quick check-in and security clearance; and free wi-fi.
Travelers may book tickets for flights to Denver with connections to 15 additional destinations to the west including San Francisco, Los Angeles and Seattle at www.flysbn.com through September 9.
About the South Bend Airport
South Bend Airport’s four air carriers provide nonstop flights to 10 cities: Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, Detroit, Fort Myers/Punta Gorda, Las Vegas, Minneapolis, Orlando/Sanford, Phoenix/Mesa, and Tampa Bay/St. Petersburg with connections world-wide. South Bend Airport’s multi-modal terminal serves over one million air, rail and bus passengers each year. According to the 2012 Economic Impact Report from the Aviation Authority of Indiana, the South Bend Airport's total annual economic impact on South Bend and surrounding communities was in excess of $1.7 billion.
For additional information, please refer to www.FlySBN.com or get social with SBN on Facebook (www.facebook.com/FlySBN) and Twitter (@SBNairport) and stay informed about the airport and the carriers that serve the Michiana region. Source: South Bend Airport