The long-anticipated launch of Frontier Airlines’ new regional carrier – Lynx Aviation – became a reality December 7 when its first Bombardier Q400 took off from Denver en route to Billings, Mont. The new carrier sported new graphics chosen by Frontier’s fans including a lynx cub, – natch – a wolf pup and a mountain lion cub.
The fledgling carrier has not announced any new routes beyond those announced earlier this fall. Its ExpressJet contract, to fill in for Lynx flights until it received FAA certification, was terminated but Frontier’s Republic feeder service remains and its expected to be expanded from the current nine to 17 aircraft.
The airline waited five days to announce the launch owing to the uncertainty of the first flight on Friday when it had a small employee event. It is planning media events in Wichita and Sioux City where recent ice storms precluded such activities.
"Starting a new airline is certainly a challenging process, but from the beginning we knew we would be successful because we had the support of Frontier and the tremendous employees at Lynx," said Tom Nunn, president of Lynx. "The first flight to Billings was a great moment for all of
us. We look forward to contributing to the future success of Frontier and we are eager to show Frontier's customers that the Frontier experience is alive and well with the new Lynx Q400."
The fledgling carrier will fly a fleet of 10 Q400s within a 750-mile radius of its Denver hub. The airline already employs 250 and launch routes also include Rapid City, Sioux City, Tulsa and Wichita.
Frontier sees Lynx as a key to its success, offering diversification "People have been asking if this is the right time to start a project like this," said Sean Menke, Frontier president and CEO. "To me, it's the perfect time. We can move into markets with less competition and have more opportunity to feed connecting traffic through our hub – all with a very fuel-efficient aircraft that burns 30 percent less fuel than a comparably sized regional jet. We believe Lynx will be a critical component as we focus on the long-term profitability of this company."
In an effort to prove that the Q400 defies turboprop stereotypes, Frontier said the aircraft includes “a revolutionary Noise and Vibration Suppression (NVS) System, also touted by Continental’s anticipated Q400 service at Newark as being adapted from nuclear submarines. (See related story, this issue.)
“The NVS system attacks noise at its source-airframe vibration caused by pressure pulses from the
propeller blades beating against the fuselage,” said Frontier. “During flight, concealed microphones measure noise levels and propeller vibration and send this information to an onboard computer, which continually analyzes it before sending it to devices called Active Tuned Vibration Absorbers (ATVAs), which are mounted on fuselage frames. The absorbers produce counter vibrations that all but cancel out the original vibrations. The result is a sharp reduction in both cabin vibration and noise, and a remarkable increase in passenger comfort.”