HIGHFILL -- Frontier Airlines is now serving Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport, with its first route going to and from Denver International Airport starting in late June.
At an announcement on Monday at the airport, Jonathon Nield, senior manager of Network Planning for Frontier, said the flight will run three times a week, with a special introductory rate of $38.88, with certain provisos. Nield pitched Frontier's customer friendly focus and noted its kids-fly-free program for children under 14 when traveling with an adult, as part of its Discount Den travel club.
Nield said the new route will serve both business and leisure travelers. Denver is a key hub for Frontier, allowing connecting flights to Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Seattle, and Portland, Ore.
The new flight marks Northwest Arkansas as Frontier's 100th destination the airline serves from Denver, its headquarters. The airline has more than 350 flights daily in the U.S., Canada, Dominican Republic and Mexico.
Flights to and from Denver will run on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. They will depart Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport at 5:47 p.m. and land in Denver at 6:50 p.m. Flights leave Denver at 1:58 p.m. and land in Arkansas at 4:57 p.m.
The plane assigned to the route will be an Airbus A320 jet with 186 seats. Flights start on June 27 and reservations can be made on Frontier's website.
Frontier also offers flights between Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport/Adams Field to Denver and Orlando, Fla..
In 2018, Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport saw 1,574,610 total passengers, a 9.4 percent increase from 1,438,922 from the year ago period.
Kelly Johnson, Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport's chief operating officer, said attracting Frontier to the airport was a long process that will make the airport more competitive and attractive to area travelers. She noted the low-cost option to Denver will help the airport capture customers who were getting in their car and driving to other airports in search of cheaper flights.
Ron Bigelow, executive director of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, said the low-fare route will help connect the two areas' business, outdoors and arts communities. He said quick and low-cost access to cities like Denver help area businesses recruit and maintain top talent. He noted Denver was the second most popular regional destination for people in Northwest Arkansas, with 350 people daily traveling to and from the two locations by air.
Frontier's Nield said if the Denver route proves popular, the airline will consider adding new destinations but he stopped short of what those spots might be, hinting they could be locations in Florida, the West Coast or the Midwest. As the event neared its end, he answered one key question from the small crowd gathered at the airport ticketing lobby.
"Yes, you can check bicycles and skis, for an extra fee," he said.
Business on 04/09/2019