1938 1/24 Ray Wilson Inc. incorporated in Colorado
1941 Dec. Charles Hirsig becomes president of Summit Airways
1942 Sep. Rocky Nelson becomes Arizona Airways' only president
1945 1/15 Charles Hirsig, founder of Summit Airways-beginning of Challenger Airlines, dies at age 34
1945 9/17 Arizona Corp. comm. authorized
1946 3/17 Arizona Airways inaugurates intrastate service
1946 3/28 C.A.B. certificate issued to Ray Wilson, Inc
1946 3/28 C.A.B. certificate issued to Summit Airways
1946 7/2 Ray Wilson Inc. renamed Monarch Airlines Inc.
1946 8/21 C.A.B. certificate for Wilson reissued and renamed as Monarch Airlines
1946 11/14 C.A.B. certificate issued to Central Airlines
1946 11/27 Monarch's first scheduled flight DEN COS PUB CNE MVS DRO but unable to land at CNE and DRO due
to muddy field conditions, crew was Capt. Art Ashworth, FO Ray Harvey & Steward Vern Carlson and
carried one passenger
1946 11/30 Monarch first flight DEN-DRO
1947 Jan. George Snyder becomes president of Challenger Airlines
1947 2/10 Hal Darr takes over Monarch as president
1947 3/21 C.A.B. certficate for Summit reissued and renamed as Challenger Airlines
1947 5/3 Challenger inaugurates service
1947 5/10 Challenger started EMM (Kemmerer, WY) service to DEN & SLC
1947 6/10 Service to WRL starts
1947 6/23 GUP service starts
1947 8/15 GUC service begins
1947 11/9 Service starts at ALS
1948 Feb. Donald Duff becomes Challenger Airlines president
1948 6/29 C.A.B. certficate issued to Arizona Airways - did not start C.A.B. certified operations
1949 Jul. Keith Kahle becomes president of Central Airlines
1949 7/1 Service starts at VEL
1949 8/14 CEZ service begins
1949 9/15 Central inaugurates C.A.B. certified service with flight Ft Worth-Dallas-Gainesville-Ardmore-Ada-
Shawnee-Oklahoma City using Beechcraft Bonanzas, CN flights 1 & 2
1950 2/9 Challenger and Monarch merge to form Challenger-Monarch Airlines
1950 3/20 Frontier Airlines incorporated in Nevada
1950 6/1 Frontier Airlines formed from merger of Monarch Air Lines, Challenger Airlines, and Arizona Airways
1950 6/1 Hal Darr, Monarch's president, becomes Frontier's 1st president
1950 7/1 First flight GRI-OMA
1950 9/1 CN replaces Beechcraft Bonanzas with DC-3s
1950 12/1 CN replaces male pursers with female stewardesses
1951 5/6 Arizona founder Rocky Nelson, aged 46, dies in Tucson
1952 11/3 FL's first stewardess class graduates
1953 Apr. Mac Myhre becomes FL's 2nd president
1953 4/25 ACF opened and CN moved from FTW to ACF except maintenance
1953 6/1 Service to COD starts
1953 12/16 CN's first stewardess class graduates
1954 5/2 CN starts FSM service
1954 9/15 BIS-BIL service begins
1954 12/7 CN starts FYV service
1955 5/1 In May President Eisenhower authorized the issue of permanent certificates to the 13 existing feeder
airlines, changing their designation to "local service carriers."
1956 2/1 CN starts FSM-FYV-STL service
1956 11/1 ALEA wins representation of the agents at FL
1957 6/29 CN starts HRO service
1958 3/21 Monarch co-founder Fred Bonfils dies, aged 62, at Denver
1959 Jan. Bud Maytag takes over ownership becomes the 3rd president of FL
1959 3/1 New service: STK-DEN, EAR-DEN, HSI-OMA, HSI-DEN, BIR-OMA, LNK-MKC, IML-DEN, IML-
OMA, SNY-DEN, SNY-OMA, STJ-MKC, MKC-STJ, MKC-OMA
1959 4/1 New service: MOT-DEN, RAP-MOT, RAO-AIA, AIA-DEN, AIA-RAP, HSR-AIA, HSR-MOT, BFF-DEN
& BFF-RAP
1959 4/12 New service: MOT-BIL
1959 6/15 Service to JAC started
1959 7/1 New service: CNY-DEN, ECS-CPR, ECS-RAP-DIK, GRI-OMA
1959 8/? CN opens new Hqs building at ACF
1959 9/1 New service: BIL-GTF, LWT-SLC, LWT-GTF, GTF-SLC
1959 11/2 New “Highline” service: HVR-BIS, HVR-GTF, GGW-BIS, GGW-GTF
1959 11/9 Construction starts on new FL General Office on 39th Avenue
1960 1/15 FL starts LEM-MOT LEM-CPR LEM-DIK service
1960 11/1 Date approximate, sometime late in 1960 CN signed a contract with AA for 6 CV240s
1960 ? CN opened new hangar, ACF renamed Greater Southwest International Airport GSW
1960 9/23 FL moved into new HQs building 5900 East 39th Avenue
1961 3/1 CN begins service with CV240s bought from AA
1961 3/13 CN starts PUB-OKC service
1962 Mar. Bud Maytag sells his FL stock (625,000 shares for $3M) to Goldfield and buys NA
1962 4/10 Lew Dymond elected to replace Maytag and becomes FL's 4th president
1963 7/10 New service: COS-ABQ, COS-DEN, ALM-ELP, ALM-BIL, SAF-ABQ, SAF-DEN, ELP-BIL
1964 Jan. L. E. Glasgow succeeds Kahle to become CN's 2nd president
1964 6/1 Convair 580 aircraft introduced on system. CV340/440s converted to turboprops.
1964 6/1 FL stopped using turquoise crescent logo & changed to tan crescent & lowered arrow with arrival of
CV580s
1964 8/1 CN announces conversion of 6 CV240s and purchase of 4 more CV240s to also be converted
1964 Nov. RKO General buys 55% of FL from Goldfield Corp for $6,513,080
1965 1/5 RKO General purchase of FL becomes effective, Kimball-O'Neil-Poor elected to board
1965 May. Lamar Muse becomes CN's 3rd and last p[resident
1965 9/19 CN takes delivery of first CV600
1966 6/1 Floyd Ririe is first pilot to retire from FL, he dies over 30 years later!
1966 9/30 Boeing 727-100 service started, 5 ordered with options on 5 more, 24F 72Y seating
1966 10/9 New service: HDN-SLC, HDN-DEN
1966 11/9 CN/OZ merger terminated
1967 6/1 New service: WYS-DEN
1967 6/13 New service: DEN-STL, MKC-STL, STL-GJT
1967 10/1 Central bought and merged into Frontier, new service BZN-SLC, MSO-GTF
1967 6/13 DEN-STL jet service starts
1968 1/5 RKO General buys FL stock (54.9% valued at $6.5M) from Goldfield Corp.
1968 Jan. President's Assistant program started on jet service
1968 2/9 Boeing 727-200s arrive, 5 ordered
1968 3/1 New service: DEN-LAS, LAS-STL
1969 Jan. FL's 5th president, E. Paul Burke, takes office
1969 3/1 Eleven CV600s from CN are parked and put up for sale
1969 7/7 Begins using 737 aircraft on its routes
1969 8/1 CRO moves from GSW hangar to DAL Sanford Building at 2405 Cedar Springs
1969 10/2 Lawsuit Newmark v. RKO General settled in favor of FL, paid 12/1/70
1970 Jul. 5 CV600s sold to Mandala Airlines for $1.5M, 6 still for sale
1970 Aug. ALEA has work slowdown
1970 Sep. ALEA has 2nd slowdown, issues picket signs, prepares to strike
1970 10/4 ALEA and FL agree to new contract, station agents top out at $1000 per month for first time
1970 10/25 Service OMA-MDW, OMA-PHX commences
1970 Dec. Twin Otters start FL service
1970 12/1 FL paid $8,474,044 in lawsuit against RKO General
1971 3/1 Beech 99s become part of fleet
1971 3/5 Al Feldman becomes FL's 6th President
1971 Apr. Offices at 39th Avenue moved to hangar building on Smith Road
1972 4/13 FL 91 enroute ABQ-PHX hijacked to LAX, hijacker surrendered to Capt. Willy Hurt later that day
1972 8/1 SAF closed due to unsafe runway conditions
1972 10/1 Twin Otter-300s announced to replace Beech 99s
1972 11/10 FL moved from MKC to new MCI airport
1972 12/1 FL moved DEN operations to concourse D
1972 12/8 Twin Otter service starts to SNY AIA CDR BFF
1973 10/23 Oil embargo crisis, flight schedules reduced
1974 1/13 DFW airport opens
1974 10/28 New service FCA-MSO
1974 10/28 MOT-YWG flights start
1977 9/1 First flight DEN-SMF
1977 11/6 First flight LNK-MDW
1977 9/1 The Sep/Oct FL News announced that a "new look" was coming, New DEN-SMF service started
1978 4/30 The new Frontier logo is dedicated - it features a sylized "F" icon which was designed by Saul Bass and
Associates of Los Angeles
1978 6/1 Service started DEN-GEG
1978 8/12 Non stop LIT_ICT service started
1978 11/3 First flight ELP to GDL & MZT Mexico
1978 12/15 DTW service begins
1979 3/1 Service deleted at HSI EAR MCK & OLU
1979 4/27 SLC-GEG commences
1979 5/1 DFW-SHV flights begin
1979 5/1 RDD service from SMF started
1979 5/11 Monarch co-founder Ray Wilson dies at age 78 in Denver
1979 5/4 First flight, LIT-JAN
1979 5/24 DTW-TOL service begins
1979 6/1 BOI service begins
1979 6/15 HOT service dropped
1979 7/1 New service SLC-EUG
1979 7/16 Start GEG-YVR flights
1979 8/9 FLG dropped from service
1979 9/1 WDG & PNC dropped from service
1979 9/30 Service to SVC & ALM dropped
1979 11/8 BIL-HLN service begins
1979 11/8 Service starts MSO-HLN
1979 11/8 ABQ-ZIH flights commence
1979 11/8 Flights ELP-ZIH get started
1980 2/1 Glen Ryland becomes 7th president, service to MDW is deleted, service to LEX begins
1980 5/1 DEN-HOU service started and SMF-SCK
1980 6/30 Service to the "highline" is dropped: HVR LWT GGW OLF ISN SDY MLS & GDV
1980 8/1 MLC is dropped from service, last one man station
1980 9/21 New ATL terminal opens with FL a tenant
1980 10/1 Jet service starts at LBF
1980 11/30 Nebraska stations of CDR SNY & AIA cease operations, Twin Otters are retired
1980 12/1 New service, DEN-DSM-LNK, service to JAN is dropped
1980 12/15 LAS-SNA flights begin
1981 3/1 First flight, DEN to RNO
1981 5/1 Service begins to LAX YXE & YQR
1981 5/1 New service: DEN-LAX
1981 6/1 AMA & LBL closed down, JAC gets 737 jet service
1981 6/12 FL files with SEC to sell $40M in debentures to buy aircraft and general corporate purposes
1981 6 JetMates begin service at DEN
1981 7/1 New service to OAK FSD MSN, FL magazine has 10th anniversary
1981 8/9 Former FL President Al Feldman dies in Los Angeles at age 53
1981 9/1 GUP service is terminated
1981 9/30 New service: FSD-MSN
1981 10/1 Service dropped at GUP
1981 10/1 First flight DEN-MSN
1981 10/1 DEN-FSD service begins
1981 11/1 DEN-SEA service starts
1981 11/15 Service dropped at LAW
1982 1/31 Drops service to FYV HRO and TBN
1982 3/1 Service dropped at COD WRL and VEL
1982 3/16 ABQ-PVR flights start
1982 4/1 Service dropped at ALS CEZ GUC HDN and PUB
1982 4/22 Shareholders vote to establish holding company
1982 4/30 DEN-SAN service starts
1982 5/6 Frontier Holdings formed with Frontier Airlines its primary subsidiary
1982 5/20 First FL flight using DC-9-80 aircraft
1982 5/31 Last CV580 flight made, FL had flown them since 1964 - 18 years,
FL935 OMA-LNK-LBF-BFF-DEN terminating 7:30pm crewed by
Capt. Jerry Hagen, FO Tom Sponsler, FA Marisa Zamora
1982 6/1 DEN-FAT flights begin
1982 11/20 First SAN-PSP flights start
1982 12/15 DEN-IND-CMH begins
1983 1/6 DEN-SGF service commences
1983 3/3 Start up DEN-PDX and BOI-PSC service
1983 3/3 PDX-EUG service starts
1983 6/1 FSD-SUX service begins
1983 9 CO files bankruptcy first time
1983 9/7 SUX-CID and DSM-CID links added
1983 11/18 DEN-MAF-ABI flight begin
1983 12/1 FL Commuter starts up using FL CV580s
1984 1/9 Frontier Horizon inaugurates service - DEN-DCA DEN-SFO & DEN-ORD with 727s
1984 3/1 FH begins DEN-LGA service
1984 3/29 General Tire forms a holding company called GenCorp, RKO General is a subsidiary
1984 5/1 Chick Stevens downgraded at FRONTIER magazine, by Jan86 shown as "founder" tho still getting articles
in occasionally
1984 6/8 DEN-RFD, MSN-RFD and CID-RFD service started
1984 6/27 Announced plans to cease service to 20 cities on Oct 1
1984 9/1 New customer service & ramp uniforms introduced
1984 10/1 DEN-MSP & DEN-MKE service starts
1984 10/1 Service dropped to FSM LIT FAT DRO ATL IND SUX FOE LEX DTW JLN HLN GRI GFK FMN
CMH TOL MEM ABI PSC
1984 Nov. Hank Lund becomes FL's 8th president
1984 12/15 FL Services start bus shuttle service to Keystone, Vail, Copper Mountain, Breckinridge & Winter Park, to
run til 4/7/85
1985 1/1 FH goes DEN-TPA & MCO
1985 Feb. FL Commuter ceases operations after opposition from the Employee Coalition
1985 Apr. Joe O'Gorman becomes FL's 9th president
1985 4/1 FL Horizon ceases operations after opposition from the Employee Coalition - consolidated back into FL
1985 4/1 FL DEN-IAD service started, replacing dropped FH service
1985 10/5 People Express buys FL (11/85 FL Monthly says FL Holdings approves sale on 10/8/85 at $24 per share)
1985 10/28 PX and FL announce joint fare program to over 1300 city pairs
1986 Jan. Larry Martin becomes FL's 10th and final president
1986 3/13 Premium class service started on FL
1986 8/24 Frontier ceases operations on a Sunday morning
1986 8/28 Frontier files chapter 11 bankruptcy
1986 10/24 CO buys FL and PEX
1987 2/1 Lorenzo orders new CO president Tom Plaskett to merge CO, NY, PX, FL and all other airline subsidiaries
into one giant airline - CO, the biggest one-day merger in airline history, sometimes called the "big bang" -
schedules were disrupted for months and Plaskett was fired after 9 months on the job
1990 5/31 Frontier finally liquidated & paperwork finished per H. Lee Davis, exactly 40 years after its founding
1990 12/3 CO files chapter 11 bankruptcy (again)
1993 4/28 CO emerges from chapter 11 bankruptcy
1995 2/28 New DEN airport opens
1997 7/4 Central founder Keith Kahle dies in Fort Worth aged 87, names ex-Central employees honorary pallbearers
1998 7/22 U.S. Bankruptcy Court, District Of Colorado, closes the Chapter 11 case of Frontier Airlines
Jake Lamkins
Webmaster
|
