Frontier Is Boosting Its Presence in This Major City With 2 Airports — Here’s How

Frontier Airlines is doubling down on Chicago, with plans to reopen a pilot base that will serve both major airports in the Windy City. 

“Expanding our Chicago base to include pilots is an important part of our growth in the region, particularly at Midway International Airport (MDW) where Frontier is the fastest growing airline and second largest carrier,” a spokesperson for Frontier shared in a statement provided to T+L. “Maintaining a full crew base — with both flight attendants and pilots­ — is a great benefit for our customers. The growth allows Frontier to effectively maintain a smooth operation in Chicago and offer ‘Low Fares Done Right’ travel to even more destinations.”

The low-cost carrier previously maintained a pilot base at Chicago-O’Hare before closing down in April 2022. Frontier announced last week it would reestablish the Chicago crew base in May 2024 — this time, serving both O’Hare and Midway International Airports.

The airline’s new Chicago base will not only allow for increased hiring of pilots but also employ around 300 frontline staff in total. Frontier anticipates generating “more than $34 million annually in local wages” in Chicago, enabling growth for future new routes. 

Frontier currently offers more than a dozen routes from Chicago’s Midway International Airport, where Southwest Airlines operates roughly 90 percent of flights. At O’Hare, Chicago’s main international airport, Frontier offers nonstop flights to Atlanta, Cancun, Orlando, Phoenix, and Punta Cana. 

The news comes just weeks after Frontier launched a new crew base at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, as the airline continues its growth in the Midwest. Frontier operates flights to 17 destinations from Cleveland and plans on employing up to 410 frontline staff within its first year of operation.