Starting on November 5, the ultra-low-cost carrier Frontier Airlines will add a nonstop seasonal flight between Orlando International Airport (MCO) and San Diego International Airport (SAN). The route will be active until January 3, 2023; flights will operate daily between the two destinations and were last offered by Frontier in March and April 2021.

Returning seasonal service

As of September 2022, San Diego Airport has around 1,868 weekly flights operated by 16 airlines, including 42 weekly services from Frontier (six per day). The ultra-low-cost carrier is looking to launch a new seasonal route between November 5, 2022, and January 3, 2023, connecting the Californian city with Orlando, Florida.

“From one destination to another, we appreciate Frontier Airlines adding a seasonal nonstop flight between our two cities,” said Kimberly Becker, San Diego County Regional Airport Authority President & CEO. “The holiday months during which this service will be offered is a popular time for Southern Californians to travel, and we welcome those visiting from Central Florida.”

With the addition of the seasonal Orlando route, Frontier Airlines offers nonstop service to four other destinations – Dallas, Denver, Las Vegas, and Phoenix. The airline provides twice-daily services to Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) and Las Vegas (LAS) and one daily service to the other two destinations, DEN and PHX.

Frontier services

By November, Frontier Airlines expects to operate 3,312 weekly flights serving 93 destinations in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean, including 13 cities abroad.

The airline’s main hubs of operations are Denver International (406 weekly flights), Orlando (387 flights), and Las Vegas (339). Frontier has a fleet composed of 115 Airbus A320-family aircraft and expects to receive 227 new units in the coming years. The average age of its fleet is about four years.

In 2022’s first half, Frontier Airlines carried 11.94 million passengers, a 13% increase compared to the same period in 2019, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. This led to total operating revenue worth US$1.5 billion, a 28% increase compared to 2019, and a US$108 million net loss in the first six months of the year. “The demand environment is strong going into the third quarter, and we continue to focus on generating profitable growth in the business for the balance of 2022 and beyond,” said Barry Biffle, Frontier’s president and CEO.

San Diego’s recovery

San Diego Airport is the busiest single-runway commercial service airport in the United States and the third-busiest overall in California. It contributes nearly US$12 billion in economic activity for the region. It is currently in the midst of the construction of the new Terminal 1, which includes replacing the existing Terminal 1, improvements to the airfield, improved transportation connectivity, and a new administration building. This program has a total budget of US$3.4 billion.

In July, San Diego Airport exceeded two million monthly passengers for the first time since 2019. This year, the airport had 10.03 million passengers between January and June 2022, surpassing by 72.8% the traffic numbers in 2021. Nonetheless, the California airport is still below its pre-COVID levels, by around 17%.