Frontier near top for operating losses in Q4

Frontier Airlines had the second-highest operating loss margin among low-cost carriers in the fourth quarter, the federal Bureau of Transportation Statistics reported Monday.

The Denver-based carrier, which is operating in Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, had an operating loss of $28 million, a 6.9 percent decline from the fourth quarter of 2006.

The airline at the top of the loss list, Spirit Airlines, saw its operating loss hit $17 million, down 20.1 percent from a year earlier.

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Southwest Airlines had the highest operating profit, at $126 million, in the quarter. The airline's profits rose 7.6 percent in the year-over-year period.

The BTS report also noted that Frontier had the highest unit costs. In the fourth quarter, Frontier's operating expenses per available seat-mile amounted to 11.5 cents, or a total of $362 million, and rose from 10.8 cents a year earlier.

No. 4 Southwest's was 9.4 cents, or $2.37 billion, and up from 8.8 cents a year earlier.

Frontier also ranked second for fuel costs with 33.1 percent of its operating costs going to fuel. The airline spent $120 million on fuel in the fourth quarter. That amounted to 3.79 cents spent on fuel per available seat-mile, up from 2.87 cents in the fourth quarter of 2006.

Southwest ranked No. 6, with 31.4 percent of its operating costs spent on fuel, or 2.94 cents per available seat-mile.