Aug. 26 (UPI) -- Frontier Airlines announced Tuesday that it's adding nearly two dozen new routes with starting fares under $30, many of which will compete with the struggling Spirit Airlines.
Frontier said it is adding 20 new routes from American metro areas, including Baltimore, Charlotte, Dallas, Detroit, Fort Lauderdale and Houston.
The lowest fare publicized is $29 for flights between Baltimore to Houston and between Houston and Fort Lauderdale, which begins service in November. Other new routes are priced between $39 and $89.
"As industry capacity adjusts, we want to ensure consumers in those markets continue to have affordable flight options," said Frontier CEO Barry Biffle.
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Frontier now overlaps with Spirit on 35% of its capacity, which is more than any other airline.
Spirit announced earlier this month it needs more money if it is to survive five months after exiting bankruptcy, and that a lower demand for leisure travel has hurt its earnings.
Frontier has tried unsuccessfully to merge with Spirit several times since 2022, but Biffle told CNBC he wasn't going to speak about mergers and acquisitions in a Tuesday interview.
He did say however that he expects Frontier to pick up the majority of Spirit's market share should Spirit fully flop.
Both companies lost in the second quarter, with Spirit losing $245.8 million and Frontier losing $70 million.
Spirit announced Tuesday that it has successfully completed its renewal of the International Air Transport Association, or IATA, Operational Safety Audit, or IOSA.
"Our IOSA renewal involves a comprehensive assessment of our operations, and this successful outcome demonstrates our ongoing dedication to safety," said Executive Vice President and COO John Bendoraitis in a press release.