Frontier Airlines retires its final Airbus A319
The Airbus A319 has reached the end of the line at Frontier Airlines. On sept. 8, the airline officially retired its last Airbus A319 with a special send-off from Nashville. The end of Airbus A319 operations comes as Frontier focuses on the Airbus A320neo family of aircraft that offers improved fuel efficiencies and better economics.
Frontier flight 391 from Nashville International Airport (BNA) to Denver International Airport (DEN) was a special one. This was the final flight ever of an Airbus A319 in Frontier’s fleet. According to data from RadarBox.com, the flight on Wednesday took two hours and 22 minutes.
The Airbus A320neo family of aircraft is powering Frontier’s push toward a greener airline. Part of that strategy has included Airbus A319 retirements. In March, Frontier revealed it would retire all A319s by the end of 2021. By May, the airline accelerated that plan to retire all A319s by the third quarter, and that day has finally come.
The Airbus A319s were the smallest aircraft in Frontier’s fleet in 2021, with room for 150 passengers. Now, the airline is moving to the Airbus A320neo family of jets, which seat 180 passengers at the lower end in Frontier’s fleet. At the upper end are the Airbus A321s.
Daniel Shurz, senior vice president of commercial at Frontier Airlines, stated the following: “The retirement of Frontier’s last Airbus A319 aircraft is a proud and symbolic moment for our team as we look ahead towards a greener future. Our ultra-modern fleet is already the most fuel-efficient in the U.S. skies and, as we continue the transition to A320neo (New Engine Option) and A321neo aircraft, our fuel savings and operational efficiencies continue to evolve.”