Newark Airport Loses Southwest, But Gains Frontier Airlines

NEWARK, NJ — In the span of a month, Newark Airport has lost – and gained – a budget airline carrier.

On Tuesday, Port Authority officials announced that the airport’s roster of 35 carriers will be gaining a new name: Frontier Airlines.

Frontier will provide “low-cost” service for 15 nonstop routes from Newark to Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Miami, Phoenix, Raleigh and San Juan. The carrier will also be the first at Newark Airport to provide service to Ontario International Airport, a gateway to the Los Angeles area, officials said.

Pending federal approval, the airline plans on offering service to Cancun, Mexico and Punta Cana, Dominican Republic in the first quarter of 2020.

“We’re excited to make flying more affordable for the Garden State,” said President and CEO of Frontier Airlines Barry Biffle.

The news about Frontier’s impending arrival in Essex County comes a month after Southwest Airlines announced it will be pulling out of Newark Airport. The company cited “below expectation” financial results in Newark as part of the decision.

Southwest still plans to keep a "consolidated" New York footprint at LaGuardia Airport, spokespeople said.

• See related article: Southwest Ending Flights From Newark, Will Stay At LaGuardia

On Tuesday, Port Authority officials offered a contrasting opinion to Southwest’s financial outlook for Newark Airport.

“Newark Liberty is seeing extremely strong growth, and the introduction of a new airline carrier supports this demand while making the airport more competitive,” said Port Authority Aviation Director Huntley Lawrence. “This new service is part of our commitment to offer the traveling public greater connectivity to more destinations from Newark and our other major airports.”

According to the Port Authority, in the last three years, Newark Airport has reported more than 9 percent growth, with nearly 23 million passengers handled in the first six months of 2019.

• See related article: United Airlines Adds More Flights From Newark To Tokyo, Japan

To accommodate that growth at Newark Airport, the Port Authority has kicked off what it calls the "largest design-build project in New Jersey’s history"... the $2.7 billion Terminal One Redevelopment Program.

The project will replace the existing Terminal A, featuring cutting-edge digital technology and superior dining and retail options in about one million square feet of space, about 20 percent larger than Terminal A. It will cater to an estimated 13.6 million passengers per year.

Officials said the new terminal will have 33 common-use gates – five more than at Terminal A – which will help accommodate larger aircraft and modernized check-in, security and baggage claim areas.

• See related article: Port Authority Awards Crucial Contract For Newark Airport
• See related article: How To Get Jobs, Contracts For $2.7B Project At Newark Airport

In addition to the Terminal One Program, the agency’s proposed amendments to its 2017-2026 Capital Plan include two additional projects at Newark Liberty – a $2 billion new AirTrain system and funds to begin preliminary planning on a replacement for Terminal B.

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