Frontier Airlines has said it will keep their maintainence operations in Denver but doesn't know whether or not they will build their own or buy the facility they are leasing now from Continental Airlines. If they would build a facility it would cost between $30 and $40 million dollars.
Frontier spokesman Joe Hodas said, "We've got to have a plan of some sort in place soon. That doesn't mean we have to have something built in February, but we at least need to decide if we'll take that path."
Continental built the facility when it had a large presence here, financing the more-than $40 million pricetag through airport bonds. The carrier pulled most of its flights from the city in the mid-1990s. The bonds related to the hangar still have a remaining balance of about $29 million, and the airline has $3 million in scheduled upcoming payments this year.
Continental spokesman Dave Messing said the company is exploring a range of options for the hangar but declined to comment more specifically. Continental Airlines lease on the building doesn't run out until 2018.
One reason Frontier might want to build its own facility: The hangar was built for lighter maintenance on larger planes than Frontier flies, meaning the company would have to make some changes if it planned to be there long-term.
"It's just not really configured right" for what Frontier is doing, said Stan Koniz, DIA's chief financial officer.
Frontier recently hired an outside firm to study what changes and repairs would be needed - and how much they would cost - if it stays in the hangar.
Rocky Mountain News
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