Since Republic Airways went on a buying spree that last year brought Frontier and Midwest airlines into its fold, little has been said about where Lynx Aviation fits in Republic’s new airline network.
“We haven’t figured that out yet,” Republic spokesman Carlo Bertolini said of Lynx, which was a subsidiary of Frontier.
Part of Republic’s strategy for buying Frontier and Midwest is to diversify its business. Republic, an Indianapolis-based holding company, exclusively flew small regional jets under major airlines’ banners.
By acquiring Midwest on July 31 and Frontier on Oct. 1, Republic is taking control of its revenue, instead of relying on the fixed fees it earned from major airlines for providing crews and planes for their regional operations.
Republic chief executive Bryan Bedford said several months ago that he hasn’t had time to think about Lynx, given the immense task of building a new airline network.
Lynx came to Republic as a fledgling regional service attached to Frontier. Its fleet of 11 Bombardier Q400s — the only turboprops in Republic’s system — flies to 14 destinations in Colorado and nearby states.
For the near term, Lynx will continue as part of the Frontier brand, Bedford has said.
Western cities served by Lynx, such as Durango; Billings, Mont.; Rapid City, S.D.; and Fargo, N.D., “deserve air service,” Bedford said, though how that is done is still up in the air.
Aviation experts agree there hasn’t been much information on Lynx’s future role at Republic, or whether Lynx even has a role.
“I’m not sure where they are going to go with any of this,” said aviation analyst Darryl Jenkins. “I’m going to wait six months and look at these guys very closely as they move planes around.”
The Q400s could give Republic an option not available to all of its competitors, said William Swelbar, research engineer for the International Center for Air Transportation at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
“I just don’t think it’s a piece they walk away from, whether they fly it (out West) or elsewhere,” Swelbar said.
Swelbar noted the Q400s are fuel-efficient, can land on shorter runways and handle well in the mountains. They also could be used on short hauls east of the Mississippi River.
“Lynx may prove to be the crown jewel as high oil prices and crowded skies make propellers sexy again,” Swelbar said.
Lynx’s schedule — except for seasonal changes — has remained essentially the same since Republic took over, though Lynx stopped service in September to Grand Junction. Airline officials said the route was unprofitable.
Since the acquisition, Frontier occasionally has used Lynx Q400s, which seat 74 passengers, to fly into mainline cities when one of the 100-plus-seat Airbuses is too large for demand, said Frontier spokesman Peter Kowalchuk.
Operators of the airports where Lynx has regular service love hosting the turboprops with baby animals on their tails.
Lynx has made a difference in fare pricing and provides a critical connection to a wide market, said Mark Earle, aviation director at the Colorado Springs Airport, which has six daily roundtrip Lynx flights to Denver.
The connectivity that Lynx provides extends to states surrounding Colorado, Earle said, adding political support for keeping service to those communities.
Lynx arrived at Durango-La Plata County Airport in April 2008 just as Delta was pulling out.
“When they came in, they just changed the picture,” said aviation director Ron Dent. The airport also is served by United Express and US Airways, but Lynx with its three daily roundtrip flights to Denver “has been an absolute boon to us.”
Lynx ushered in “significantly lower fares,” Dent said. The lower fares have attracted new customers from among the quarter-million people who live within 60 miles of Durango, locals who used to drive the 200 miles to Albuquerque to catch flights.
“We found ourselves having huge passenger increases with the competition out of Durango,” Dent said. The airport saw 115,000 passengers in 2007, 136,600 in 2008 and 149,455 in 2009.
Dent said that’s meant a new parking lot, plans for a new concourse and more revenue for the airport.
Dent hopes the relationship continues, adding, “For Frontier, we hope this makes good business sense.”
Ann Schrader: 303-954-1967 or aschrader@denverpost.com
Lynx by the numbers
11 Bombardier Q400 turboprops in its fleet
1,087,701 Lynx passengers going through DIA in 2009 through November
2.36% DIA market share in 2009
916,198 Lynx passengers going through DIA in 2008
1.94% DIA market share in 2008
