Frontier Airlines will return 24 aircraft to lessor AerCap Holdings in the second quarter and delay deliveries of 69 Airbus planes.
Both moves are geared toward slowing growth and achieving sustained profitability.
Frontier currently has a fleet of 176 planes. According to J.P Morgan investment analyst Jamie Baker, the return of 24 Airbus A320neos will be countered by expected new deliveries of 24 aircraft this year.
The 69 deferrals of Airbus A320neo and A321neo planes will move deliveries that had been scheduled from 2027-2030 to 2031-2033. Frontier wants to rein in long-term growth rates to approximately 10%.
Frontier plans to increase capacity in 2026 by 10%, primarily through more intensive use of its existing fleet, Baker wrote. The airline reduced the utilization rate of its fleet by 11% year-over-year in 2025.
Frontier reported a net loss of $137 million in 2025. In the fourth quarter, the airline was profitable with a net income of $53 million.
Frontier has faced financial challenges throughout the post-Covid years, with full-service airlines outperforming discount carriers.