Southwest Airlines Now No. 2 At DIA
DENVER (AP) - Southwest Airlines has surpassed Frontier Airlines for the second biggest domestic market share at Denver International Airport behind United Airlines.
Airport statistics show Southwest pulled ahead of Frontier late last year. As of February, Southwest had about 22 percent of the domestic market in Denver, and Frontier and Republic Airways combined had about 19 percent. Republic bought Frontier in 2009.
Frontier has tried to build a reputation as Denver's hometown carrier, but Dallas-based Southwest has been marketing itself aggressively in Denver.
Southwest's market strategy and performance director Edward Shelswell-White tells The Denver Post that Denver is the fastest-growing city in the airline's network. Denver is the carrier's fifth-largest station.
Frontier officials say they care more about profitability than market share.
Shelswell-White says Southwest doesn't talk about profitability in individual cities.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
