Frontier Airlines First Flight Shreveport Louisiana - Dallas/Fort Worth Texas

Description

Frontier Airlines extended service to Louisiana on May 1, 1979, with the inauguration of service between
Dallas / Fort Worth and Shreveport, using Boeing 737-200 aircraft.
This cover was carried on the inaugural
Frontier Airlines
flight from Shreveport, Louisiana to Dallas, Texas
(where it was backstamped)
and is listed in The American Air Mail Catalogue as FL-D7W.
Frontier Airlines’ shareholders and the Department of Transportation approved the airlines’ merger with People Express on Tuesday, November 21, 1985, officially ending Frontier Airlines’ 39-year era as one of the west’s major independent air carriers. People Express, based in Newark, N.J., bought the Denver-based Frontier Airlines on October 9, outbidding Texas Air Corporation and a coalition of Frontier unions. With the Department of Transportation’s actions, Frontier Airlines officially became a wholly owned subsidiary of People Express, Inc.
On August 24, 1986 Frontier Airlines ceased operations and released all of its employees as the result of financial difficulties. On August 28, 1986, the airline filed for bankruptcy under Chapter 11 of the Federal Bankruptcy Code.
Continental Airlines continued to operate the Frontier jet fleet with the aircraft being repainted in Continental's livery. On March 3, 2012 Continental Airlines merged into United Airlines.
On October 17, 1986, the bankruptcy court approved the purchase by Continental Airlines’ parent corporation, Texas Air, of the assets of Frontier Airlines. The Frontier acquisition was one of several conditions established by Texas Air as requirements for its acquisition of People Express, Inc., Frontier’s parent company. The equipment and routes of Frontier were sold to Continental Airlines which reinstated many of the old Frontier routes using the purchased Frontier equipment and by rehiring many of the old Frontier employees.