IN THE UNITED STATES consolidation has been a significant trend in the air travel industry since the early 2000s. We have seen the merger of Delta Air Lines and Northwest in 2009, United Airlines and Continental in 2010, American Airlines and US Airways in 2013, and Southwest Airlines and AirTran in 2011. Now, two new airlines are tying the knot. Frontier Airlines and Spirit Airlines aim to create a new airline with a massive fleet poised to dominate the US ultra-low-cost carrier market. The proposed airline, the name of which has not yet been revealed, will offer over 1,000 daily flights to 145 destinations in 19 countries with a fleet of 284 Airbus A320 family aircraft. Together, Frontier and Spirit have 350 next-generation Airbus aircraft on order, giving them a significantly strong ability to compete with the top five US airlines. Growth will be an important factor for the new airline, which will have the opportunity to expand to new markets. The airlines say that, by 2026, they will add more than 10,000 direct jobs to support that growth.
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