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Frontier Group Holdings, Inc. (ULCC) FY 2024 MD&A

Verbatim Item 7 Management's Discussion and Analysis from Frontier Group Holdings, Inc.'s 10-K for fiscal year 2024. Filing date: 2025-02-18. Report date: 2024-12-31. Accession: 0001670076-25-000041.

This page reproduces the company's own Item 7 MD&A text from the linked SEC filing. It is filer text, not grepcent analysis, scoring, or investment advice.

Extracted structurally from real Item 7 body heading to real Item 7A/8 boundary. Confidence: high.

Company profile: ULCC · All MD&A years: index · Previous year: FY 2023 · Next year: FY 2025

ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with our audited consolidated financial statements and the related notes and other financial information included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Our discussion and analysis of fiscal year 2024 compared to fiscal year 2023 is included herein. For a discussion of the results of operations for fiscal year 2022 and comparisons between fiscal year 2023 and fiscal year 2022, please refer to “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, which was filed with the SEC on February 20, 2024.

Overview

The following table provides select financial and operational information for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 (in millions, except percentages):

Year Ended December 31,Change
20242023
Total operating revenues$3,775$3,5895%
Total operating expenses$3,717$3,5923%
Income (loss) before income taxes$86$32169%
Available seat miles (“ASMs”)39,87137,8225%

Revenues

Total operating revenues for the year ended December 31, 2024 totaled $3,775 million, an increase of 5% compared to the year ended December 31, 2023. This was primarily due to the 5% increase in capacity, as measured by ASMs. Revenue per available seat mile (“RASM”) remained consistent for the year ended December 31, 2024 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2023, as the 5% decline in revenue per passenger and 4.6 point decrease in load factor was offset by an 11% decrease in average stage length as compared to the prior year period. The lower average stage length is primarily the result of a higher proportion of out-and-back flying in the current year to simplify our network and improve operational efficiency and recoverability.

Operating Expenses

Total operating expenses during the year ended December 31, 2024 increased to $3,717 million, resulting in a cost per available seat mile (“CASM”) of 9.32¢, a decrease of 2% compared to the year ended December 31, 2023. Fuel expense was $89 million lower, as compared to the corresponding prior year period. This 8% decrease in fuel expense for the year ended December 31, 2024 was primarily driven by the 12% decrease in fuel cost per gallon, partially offset by the 5% increase in fuel gallons consumed, as a result of our 5% capacity increase.

Our non-fuel expenses increased by 9% during the year ended December 31, 2024, as compared to the corresponding prior year period, driven primarily by higher capacity and a larger fleet size and the resulting increase in operations during the same period, partially offset by an increase in sale-leaseback gains, the cost benefit from our network simplification, and a legal settlement. CASM (excluding fuel), a non-GAAP measure, increased 3% to 6.71¢, on a 5% increase in capacity, for the year ended December 31, 2024, as compared to the corresponding prior year period, due to the aforementioned drivers of increased non-fuel expenses.

Adjusted CASM (excluding fuel), a non-GAAP measure, increased from 6.50¢ for the year ended December 31, 2023 to 6.81¢ for the year ended December 31, 2024, and Adjusted CASM (excluding fuel), SLA 1,000, a non-GAAP measure, decreased from 6.52¢ for the year ended December 31, 2023 as compared to 6.44¢ for the year ended December 31, 2024. For the year ended December 31, 2024, Adjusted CASM (excluding fuel) excludes the impact of $38 million related to the legal settlement, and for the year ended December 31, 2023, Adjusted CASM

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(excluding fuel) excludes $1 million in net transaction and merger-related costs incurred in connection with our terminated merger with Spirit Airlines, Inc. (“Spirit”) and $1 million in other operating costs associated with legal fees incurred due to the U.S. Department of Justice’s substantial requests for information and deposition testimony from us related to the contemplated merger of Spirit and JetBlue Airways (“JetBlue”).

Net Income (Loss)

We generated net income of $85 million during the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to a net loss of $11 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. After giving effect to the aforementioned non-GAAP operating adjustments and related tax impacts, as well as the $5 million valuation allowance and the write-off of $1 million in unamortized deferred financing costs for the year ended December 31, 2024, and the $37 million valuation allowance in the year ended December 31, 2023, our adjusted net income, a non-GAAP measure, was $53 million and $28 million, respectively, for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023.

For the reconciliation to the corresponding GAAP measures of the aforementioned non-GAAP adjusted measures, see “Results of Operations—Reconciliation of CASM to CASM (excluding fuel), Adjusted CASM (excluding fuel), Adjusted CASM, Adjusted CASM including net interest and CASM including net interest” and “Results of Operations — Reconciliation of Net Income (Loss) to Adjusted Net Income (Loss), Pre-Tax Income (Loss) to Adjusted Pre-Tax Income (Loss), and Net Income (Loss) to EBITDA, EBITDAR, Adjusted EBITDA, and Adjusted EBITDAR”.

As of December 31, 2024, our total available liquidity was $935 million, made up of unrestricted cash and cash equivalents, including $205 million of funds available to be drawn under our revolving loan facility.

Trends and Uncertainties Affecting Our Business

We believe our operating and business performance is driven by various factors that typically affect airlines and their markets, including trends which affect the broader travel industry, as well as trends which affect the specific markets and customer base that we target. The following key factors may affect our future performance:

Competition. The airline industry is highly competitive. The principal competitive factors in the airline industry are the fare and total price, flight schedules, number of routes served from a city, frequent flyer programs, product and passenger amenities, customer service, fleet type and reputation. The airline industry is particularly susceptible to price discounting as once a flight is scheduled, airlines incur only nominal incremental costs to provide service to passengers occupying otherwise unsold seats. Price competition occurs on a route-by-route basis through price discounts, changes in pricing structures, fare matching, target promotions and frequent flyer initiatives. Airlines typically use discount fares and other promotions to stimulate traffic during normally slower travel periods to generate cash flow and to maximize RASM. The prevalence of discount fares can be particularly acute when a competitor has excess capacity that it is under financial pressure to sell. A key element of our competitive strategy is to maintain very low unit costs in order to permit us to compete successfully in price-sensitive markets. In addition, some of the legacy network carriers match LCC and ULCC pricing on portions of their network, including through the selective deployment of so-called “basic economy” fares. We believe that fare discounts, along with more customer optionality over product offerings, have and will continue to stimulate demand for Frontier due to our Low Fares Done Right strategy.

Our Low Fares Done Right strategy is underpinned by our low-cost structure, and has significantly reduced our cost base by optimizing aircraft utilization with disciplined capacity deployment across peak and off peak periods to align capacity with expected travel demand patterns, transitioning to larger and more fuel-efficient aircraft, maximizing seat density, renegotiating the majority of our distribution agreements, realigning and simplifying our network, enhancing our website and mobile app, boosting employee productivity and contracting with leading specialists to provide us with select operating and other services.

Our cost structure has generally allowed us to achieve strong results from operations relative to the rest of the industry during periods of competitive pricing and price discounts. We believe that we are well positioned to

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maintain our low unit operating costs relative to our competitors through on-going strategic initiatives, including continuing our cost optimization efforts and further realizing economies of scale. To the extent that we are unable to maintain our low-cost structure, our ability to compete effectively may be impaired. In addition, if our competitors engage in fare wars or similar behavior, our financial performance could be adversely impacted.

Aircraft Fuel. Fuel expense represents one of the single largest operating expense for most airlines, including ours. Aircraft fuel prices and availability are subject to market fluctuations, refining capacity, periods of market surplus and shortage and demand for heating oil, gasoline and other petroleum products, as well as meteorological, economic and political factors and events occurring throughout the world, which we can neither control nor accurately predict. The future cost and availability of aircraft fuel cannot be predicted with any degree of certainty.

Volatility. The air transportation business is volatile and highly affected by economic cycles and trends. Global pandemics and related health scares, consumer confidence and discretionary spending, fear of terrorism or war, weakening economic conditions, fare initiatives, fluctuations in fuel prices, labor actions, changes in governmental regulations on taxes and fees, weather and other factors have resulted in significant fluctuations in revenue and results of operations in the past.

Seasonality. Our results of operations for any interim period are not necessarily indicative of those for the entire year because the air transportation business and our route network are subject to seasonal fluctuations. We generally expect demand to be greater in the second and third quarters compared to the rest of the year. While we have, over recent years, reduced our concentration in Denver to decrease the impact of seasonality in our business, 23% of our flights during the year ended December 31, 2024 had Denver International Airport as either their origin or destination, as compared to 24% of our flights during the year ended December 31, 2023.

Labor. The airline industry is heavily unionized. The wages, benefits and work rules of unionized airline industry employees are determined by collective bargaining agreements (“CBAs”). Relations between air carriers and labor unions in the United States are governed by the United States Railway Labor Act (“RLA”). Under the RLA, CBAs generally contain “amendable dates” rather than expiration dates and the RLA requires that a carrier maintain the existing terms and conditions of employment following the amendable date through a multi-stage and usually lengthy series of bargaining processes overseen by the National Mediation Board (“NMB”). This process continues until either the parties have reached an agreement on a new CBA or the parties have been released to “self-help” by the NMB. In most circumstances, the RLA prohibits strikes. However, after release by the NMB, carriers and unions are free to engage in self-help measures such as lockouts and strikes.

We have seven union-represented employee groups comprising approximately 87% of our employees as of December 31, 2024. Our pilots are represented by the Air Line Pilots Association (“ALPA”); our flight attendants are represented by the Association of Flight Attendants (“AFA-CWA”); our aircraft technicians, aircraft appearance agents, material specialists and maintenance controllers are all represented by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (“IBT”); and our dispatchers are represented by the Transport Workers Union (“TWU”). We are currently in negotiations with the ALPA, the AFA-CWA and the IBT regarding the next labor contract. Please refer to “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements — 12. Commitments and Contingencies” for additional information.

Maintenance, Materials and Repairs and Maintenance Reserve Obligations. The amount of total maintenance costs and related depreciation of heavy maintenance expense is subject to variables such as estimated usage, government regulations, the size, age and makeup of the fleet in future periods, and the level of unscheduled maintenance events and their actual costs. Accordingly, we cannot reliably quantify future maintenance-related expenses for any significant period of time.

As of December 31, 2024, the average age of our aircraft was approximately five years and all of the aircraft in our fleet were financed with operating leases, the last of which is scheduled to expire in 2036. Please refer to “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements — 9. Operating Leases” for further discussion. We expect that these new aircraft will require less maintenance when they are first placed into service (sometimes called a “maintenance holiday”) because the aircraft will benefit from manufacturer warranties and also will be able to operate for a significant period of time, generally measured in years, before the most expensive scheduled maintenance

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obligations, known as heavy maintenance, are required. Once these maintenance holidays expire, these aircraft will require more maintenance as they age and our maintenance and repair expenses for each of our aircraft will be incurred at approximately the same intervals. When these more significant maintenance activities occur, this will result in out-of-service periods during which our aircraft are dedicated to maintenance activities and unavailable to generate revenue.

We account for heavy maintenance under the deferral method. Accordingly, heavy maintenance is depreciated over the shorter of either the remaining lease term or the period until the next estimated heavy maintenance event. As a result, maintenance events occurring closer to the end of the lease term will generally have shorter depreciation periods than those occurring earlier in the lease term. This will create higher depreciation expense specific to any aircraft related to heavy maintenance during the final years of the lease as compared to earlier periods.

Recent Developments

Financing. During 2024, we entered into a series of transactions to provide a revolving line of credit, available for general purposes, as well as increased our overall capacity for financing facilities to fund aircraft PDPs. Our revolving line of credit (the “Revolving Loan Facility”) provided $205 million of committed funding. We also amended our pre-delivery deposit (“PDP”) facility originally entered into in December 2014 (as amended from time to time, the “PDP Financing Facility”) and entered into new PDP facilities with additional lenders (the “Second PDP Financing Facility” and “Third PDP Financing Facility”, respectively, and together with the PDP Financing Facility, the “Pre-delivery Credit Facilities”), resulting in an overall increase to our Pre-delivery Credit Facilities from $365 million to $478 million.

Legal. During 2024, we agreed to settle a claim against a former aircraft lessor regarding a breach of contract, pursuant to which we received $40 million in damages. The settlement amount is final and may not be appealed by either party. For the year ended December 31, 2024, the $40 million was recognized within other operating expenses on our consolidated statements of operations and final cash proceeds were received in October 2024.

Product. During 2024, we launched BizFare, a new, cost-effective program for companies that includes benefits like a free carry-on, priority boarding, and Premium seating, with no fees for changes, cancellations, and same day standby. We also introduced UpFront Plus, offering extra legroom and a guaranteed empty middle seat in the first two rows for enhanced comfort and space. Further, The New Frontier introduced clear, upfront pricing along with expanded customer benefits and support. Starting in 2025, enhancements to The New Frontier will include First Class Seating, free seat upgrades for certain benefit holders, and unlimited free companion travel for top-tier benefit loyalty members.

Pratt & Whitney. Since 2022, we have introduced aircraft into our fleet that use the Pratt & Whitney PW1100 Geared Turbo Fan (“GTF”) engine, and we have selected this engine for most of our planned future deliveries. During 2023, Pratt & Whitney announced the requirement, mandated by the FAA, that certain engines be removed for inspection due to a possible condition in the powdered metal used to manufacture certain engine parts. This will require accelerated inspection of the PW1100 GTF engine, which we use for certain of our A320neo family aircraft, and could result in lengthy turnaround times to perform these inspections including any resulting repairs or other modifications that may be identified. Although our operations have not been impacted as of December 31, 2024, this inspection program may have an adverse impact on our operations, particularly when we are required to temporarily take aircraft out of service. We continue to assess the impact on our future capacity plans and we are in communication with Pratt & Whitney regarding compensation related to this matter.

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Results of Operations

Year Ended December 31, 2024 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2023

Operating Revenues

Year Ended December 31,Change
20242023
Operating revenues ($ in millions):
Passenger$3,683$3,509$1745%
Other92801215%
Total operating revenues$3,775$3,589$1865%
Operating statistics:
ASMs (millions)39,87137,8222,0495%
Revenue passenger miles (RPMs) (millions)30,63030,798(168)(1)%
Average stage length (miles)8941,007(113)(11)%
Load factor76.8%81.4%(4.6)ptsN/A
RASM (¢)9.479.49(0.02)%
Total ancillary revenue per passenger ($)70.2976.51(6.22)(8)%
Total revenue per passenger ($)113.38118.77(5.39)(5)%
Passengers (thousands)33,29630,2183,07810%

Total operating revenues increased $186 million, or 5%, during the year ended December 31, 2024, as compared to the year ended December 31, 2023. While capacity grew by 5%, as measured by ASMs, RASM remained consistent due to a 5% decline in revenue per passenger and a 5-point reduction in load factor, offset by a 10% increase in passengers on an 11% decrease in stage length. The increase in capacity was driven by the 16% increase in average aircraft in service during the year ended December 31, 2024, as compared to the year ended December 31, 2023, partially offset by a 9% decrease in average daily aircraft utilization for the corresponding prior year period due primarily to our disciplined capacity deployment focused on peak days of the week.

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Operating Expenses

Year Ended December 31,ChangeCost per ASMChange
2024202320242023
Operating expenses ($ in millions):(a)
Aircraft fuel$1,041$1,130$(89)(8)%2.61¢2.99¢(13)%
Salaries, wages and benefits9548589611%2.392.275%
Aircraft rent67555412122%1.691.4715%
Station operations63751612123%1.601.3618%
Maintenance, materials and repairs2091793017%0.520.4711%
Sales and marketing178164149%0.450.435%
Depreciation and amortization72502244%0.180.1338%
Transaction and merger-related costs1(1)N/MN/M
Other operating expenses(49)140(189)N/M(0.12)0.38N/M
Total operating expenses$3,717$3,592$1253%9.32¢9.50¢(2)%
Operating statistics:
ASMs (millions)39,87137,8222,0495%
Average stage length (miles)8941,007(113)(11)%
Passengers (thousands)33,29630,2183,07810%
Departures216,374188,84127,53315%
CASM (excluding fuel) (¢) (b)6.716.510.203%
Adjusted CASM (excluding fuel) (¢) (b)6.816.500.315%
Fuel cost per gallon ($)2.733.10(0.37)(12)%
Fuel gallons consumed (thousands)381,444364,60616,8385%

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N/M = Not meaningful

(a)Cost per ASM figures may not recalculate due to rounding.

(b)These metrics are not calculated in accordance with GAAP. For the reconciliation to the corresponding GAAP measures of the aforementioned non-GAAP adjusted measures, see “Reconciliation of CASM to CASM (excluding fuel), Adjusted CASM (excluding fuel), Adjusted CASM, Adjusted CASM including net interest and CASM including net interest”.

Aircraft Fuel. Aircraft fuel expense decreased by $89 million, or 8%, during the year ended December 31, 2024, as compared to the year ended December 31, 2023. The decrease was primarily due to a 12% decrease in fuel cost per gallon, partially offset by the 5% increase in gallons consumed, driven by higher capacity.

Salaries, Wages and Benefits. Salaries, wages and benefits expense increased by $96 million, or 11%, during the year ended December 31, 2024, as compared to the year ended December 31, 2023. The increase was due to higher crew costs driven primarily by the growth in the business, as well as other employee benefit costs and increased salaried support staff costs, partially offset by efficiencies from our network simplification as compared to the corresponding prior year period.

Aircraft Rent. Aircraft rent expense increased by $121 million, or 22%, during the year ended December 31, 2024, as compared to the year ended December 31, 2023, primarily due to a larger fleet and increased aircraft lease return costs.

Station Operations. Station operations expense increased by $121 million, or 23%, during the year ended December 31, 2024, as compared to the year ended December 31, 2023, primarily due to increased airport operations as a result of the 15% increase in departures and 10% increase in passengers, partially offset by increased benefits from airport revenue and cost sharing arrangements.

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Maintenance, Materials and Repairs. Maintenance, materials and repair expense increased by $30 million, or 17%, during the year ended December 31, 2024, as compared to the year ended December 31, 2023. This increase was primarily due to a 16% increase in average aircraft in service, which resulted in higher aircraft repair and maintenance costs, partially offset by lower contract labor.

Sales and Marketing. Sales and marketing expense increased by $14 million, or 9%, during the year ended December 31, 2024, as compared to the year ended December 31, 2023, primarily due to increases in customer reservation system fees and credit card fees, as a result of increased bookings year over year. The following table presents our distribution channel mix:

Year Ended December 31,Change
Distribution Channel20242023
Our website, mobile app and other direct channels72%72%pt
Third-party channels28%28%pt

Depreciation and Amortization. Depreciation and amortization expense increased by $22 million, or 44%, during the year ended December 31, 2024, as compared to the year ended December 31, 2023, primarily due to an increase in capitalized maintenance depreciation due to our growing fleet.

Other Operating. Other operating resulted in a net gain of $49 million during the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to an expense of $140 million during the year ended December 31, 2023. This movement was primarily driven by the increase in sale-leaseback gains, as a result of 23 aircraft inductions subject to sale-leaseback transactions during the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to 11 aircraft inductions subject to sale-leaseback transactions in the corresponding prior year period, as well as a legal settlement gain of $40 million during the year ended December 31, 2024.

Other Income (Expense). Other income decreased by $7 million, or 20%, during the year ended December 31, 2024, as compared to the year ended December 31, 2023. The decrease was primarily due to lower interest income from lower balances in interest-bearing cash accounts and the increase in interest expense, net of capitalized interest.

Income Taxes. Our effective tax rate for the year ended December 31, 2024 was an expense of 1.2%, compared to an expense of 134.4% for the year ended December 31, 2023, on pre-tax income for both periods. The primary difference between the effective tax rate and the federal statutory rate for the year ended December 31, 2024 was related to a decrease in our valuation allowance relating to federal and state net operating losses (“NOLs”).

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Reconciliation of CASM to CASM (excluding fuel), Adjusted CASM (excluding fuel), Adjusted CASM, Adjusted CASM including net interest and CASM including net interest

Year Ended December 31,
20242023
($ in millions)Per ASM (¢)($ in millions)Per ASM (¢)
Non-GAAP financial data:(a)
CASM9.329.50
Aircraft fuel(1,041)(2.61)(1,130)(2.99)
CASM (excluding fuel)(b)6.716.51
Legal settlement(c)380.10
Transaction and merger-related costs(d)(1)(0.01)
Other operating costs - legal fees(e)(1)
Adjusted CASM (excluding fuel)(b)6.816.50
Aircraft fuel1,0412.611,1302.99
Adjusted CASM(f)9.429.49
Net interest expense (income)(28)(0.07)(35)(0.09)
Write-off of deferred financing costs(g)(1)
Adjusted CASM + net interest(h)9.359.40
CASM9.329.50
Net interest expense (income)(28)(0.07)(35)(0.10)
CASM + net interest(h)9.259.40

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(a)Cost per ASM figures may not recalculate due to rounding.

(b)CASM (excluding fuel) and Adjusted CASM (excluding fuel) are included as supplemental disclosures because we believe that excluding aircraft fuel is useful to investors as it provides an additional measure of management’s performance excluding the effects of a significant cost item over which management has limited influence. The price of fuel, over which we have limited control, impacts the comparability of period-to-period financial performance, and excluding the price of fuel allows management an additional tool to understand and analyze our non-fuel costs and core operating performance, and increases comparability with other airlines that also provide a similar metric. CASM (excluding fuel) and Adjusted CASM (excluding fuel) are not determined in accordance with GAAP and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for performance measures calculated in accordance with GAAP.

(c)We reached a legal settlement with a former lessor for breach of contract for a total of $40 million (please refer to “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements — 12. Commitments and Contingencies” for additional information). $38 million of the settlement represents a one-time reimbursement of damages incurred and $2 million relates to the reimbursement of previously recorded legal expenses.

(d)Represents $1 million in employee retention costs incurred in connection with the terminated merger with Spirit for the year ended December 31, 2023.

(e)Represents $1 million of legal fees incurred due to the U.S. Department of Justice’s substantial requests for information and deposition testimony from us related to the contemplated merger of Spirit and JetBlue.

(f)Adjusted CASM is included as supplemental disclosure because we believe it is a useful metric to properly compare our cost management and performance to other peers, as derivations of Adjusted CASM are well-recognized performance measurements in the airline industry that are frequently used by our management, as well as by investors, securities analysts and other interested parties in comparing the operating performance of companies in the airline industry. Additionally, we believe this metric is useful because it removes certain items that may not be indicative of base operating performance or future results. Adjusted CASM is not determined in accordance with GAAP, may not be comparable across all carriers and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for performance measures calculated in accordance with GAAP.

(g)In September 2024, we reduced the capacity of the PDP Financing Facility from $365 million to $135 million. The downsize of the facility resulted in a one-time write-off of $1 million in unamortized deferred financing costs. This amount is a component of interest expense within our consolidated statements of operations.

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(h)Adjusted CASM including net interest and CASM including net interest are included as supplemental disclosures because we believe they are useful metrics to properly compare our cost management and performance to other peers that may have different capital structures and financing strategies, particularly as it relates to financing primary operating assets such as aircraft and engines. Additionally, we believe these metrics are useful because they remove certain items that may not be indicative of base operating performance or future results. Adjusted CASM including net interest and CASM including net interest are not determined in accordance with GAAP, may not be comparable across all carriers and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for performance measures calculated in accordance with GAAP.

Reconciliation of Net Income (Loss) to Adjusted Net Income (Loss), Pre-Tax Income (Loss) to Adjusted Pre-Tax Income (Loss) and Net Income (Loss) to EBITDA, EBITDAR, Adjusted EBITDA, and Adjusted EBITDAR

Year Ended December 31,
20242023
(in millions)
Non-GAAP financial data (unaudited):
Adjusted pre-tax income (loss)(a)$49$34
Adjusted net income (loss)(a)$53$28
EBITDA(a)$130$47
EBITDAR(b)$805$601
Adjusted EBITDA(a)$92$49
Adjusted EBITDAR(b)$767$603

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(a)Adjusted pre-tax income (loss), adjusted net income (loss), EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA are included as supplemental disclosures because we believe they are useful indicators of our operating performance. Derivations of pre-tax income (loss), net income (loss) and EBITDA are well-recognized performance measurements in the airline industry that are frequently used by our management, as well as by investors, securities analysts and other interested parties in comparing the operating performance of companies in our industry.

Adjusted pre-tax income (loss), adjusted net income (loss), EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA have limitations as analytical tools. Some of the limitations applicable to these measures include: adjusted pre-tax income (loss), adjusted net income (loss), EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA do not reflect the impact of certain cash charges resulting from matters we consider not to be indicative of our ongoing operations; adjusted pre-tax income (loss), adjusted net income (loss), EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA do not reflect our cash expenditures, or future requirements, for capital expenditures or contractual commitments; EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA do not reflect changes in, or cash requirements for, our working capital needs; EBITDA, and adjusted EBITDA do not reflect the interest expense, or the cash requirements necessary to service interest or principal payments, on our indebtedness or possible cash requirements related to our warrants; although depreciation and amortization are non-cash charges, the assets being depreciated and amortized will often have to be replaced in the future, and EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA do not reflect any cash requirements for such replacements; and other companies in our industry may calculate adjusted pre-tax income (loss), adjusted net income (loss), EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA differently than we do, limiting their usefulness as comparative measures. Because of these limitations, adjusted pre-tax income (loss), adjusted net income (loss), EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA should not be considered in isolation from or as a substitute for performance measures calculated in accordance with GAAP. In addition, because derivations of adjusted pre-tax income (loss), adjusted net income (loss), EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA are not determined in accordance with GAAP, such measures are susceptible to varying calculations and not all companies calculate the measures in the same manner. As a result, derivations of pre-tax income (loss), net income (loss) and EBITDA, including adjusted pre-tax income (loss), adjusted net income (loss) and adjusted EBITDA, as presented may not be directly comparable to similarly titled measures presented by other companies.

For the foregoing reasons, each of adjusted pre-tax income (loss), adjusted net income (loss), EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA has significant limitations which affect its use as an indicator of our profitability. Accordingly, you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on this information.

(b)EBITDAR and adjusted EBITDAR are included as a supplemental disclosure because we believe them to be useful solely as valuation metrics for airlines as their calculations isolate the effects of financing in general, the accounting effects of capital spending and acquisitions (primarily aircraft, which may be acquired directly, directly subject to acquisition debt, by capital lease or by operating lease, each of which is presented differently for accounting purposes), and income taxes, which may vary significantly between periods and for different airlines for reasons unrelated to the underlying value of a particular airline. However, EBITDAR and adjusted EBITDAR are not determined in accordance with GAAP, are susceptible to varying calculations and not all companies calculate the measure in the same manner. As a result, EBITDAR and adjusted EBITDAR, as presented, may not be directly comparable to similarly titled measures presented by other companies. In addition, EBITDAR and adjusted EBITDAR should not be viewed as a measure of overall performance since they exclude aircraft rent, which is a normal, recurring cash operating expense that is necessary to operate our business. Accordingly, you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on this information.

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Year Ended December 31,
20242023
(in millions)
Adjusted net income (loss) reconciliation (unaudited):
Net income (loss)$85$(11)
Non-GAAP Adjustments(a):
Legal settlement(38)
Transaction and merger-related costs1
Other operating costs - legal fees1
Write-off of deferred financing costs1
Pre-tax impact(37)2
Tax benefit (expense) related to non-GAAP adjustments
Valuation allowance(b)537
Net income (loss) impact$(32)$39
Adjusted net income (loss)$53$28
Adjusted pre-tax income (loss) reconciliation (unaudited):
Income (loss) before income taxes$86$32
Pre-tax impact(37)2
Adjusted pre-tax income (loss)$49$34

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Year Ended December 31,
20242023
(in millions)
EBITDA, EBITDAR, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDAR reconciliation (unaudited):
Net income (loss)$85$(11)
Plus (minus):
Interest expense3629
Capitalized interest(32)(28)
Interest income and other(32)(36)
Income tax expense (benefit)143
Depreciation and amortization7250
EBITDA13047
Plus: Aircraft rent675554
EBITDAR$805$601
EBITDA$130$47
Plus (minus)(a):
Legal settlement(38)
Transaction and merger-related costs1
Other operating costs - legal fees1
Adjusted EBITDA9249
Plus: Aircraft rent675554
Adjusted EBITDAR$767$603

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(a)See “Reconciliation of CASM to CASM (excluding fuel), Adjusted CASM (excluding fuel), Adjusted CASM, Adjusted CASM including net interest and CASM including net interest” above for discussion on adjusting items.

(b)During the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, we recorded $5 million and $37 million non-cash valuation allowances, respectively, against our U.S. federal and state NOL deferred tax assets, which largely do not expire, mainly as a result of being in a three-year cumulative pre-tax loss position, which has no impact on cash taxes and is not reflective of our effective tax rate for deductible NOLs generated or actual cash tax obligations created. Please refer to “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements — 15. Income Taxes” for additional information.

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Comparative Operating Statistics

The following table sets forth our operating statistics for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023. These operating statistics are provided because they are commonly used in the airline industry and, as such, allow readers to compare our performance against our results for the corresponding prior year period, as well as against the performance of our peers.

Year Ended December 31,
20242023Change
Operating statistics (unaudited)(a)
ASMs (millions)39,87137,8225%
Departures216,374188,84115%
Average stage length (miles)8941,007(11)%
Block hours554,399523,4406%
Average aircraft in service14612616%
Aircraft – end of period15913617%
Average daily aircraft utilization (hours)10.311.3(9)%
Passengers (thousands)33,29630,21810%
Average seats per departure2051993%
RPMs (millions)30,63030,798(1)%
Load factor76.8%81.4%(4.6)pts
Fare revenue per passenger ($)43.0942.262%
Non-fare passenger revenue per passenger ($)67.5073.85(9)%
Other revenue per passenger ($)2.792.665%
Total ancillary revenue passenger ($)70.2976.51(8)%
Total revenue per passenger ($)113.38118.77(5)%
RASM (¢)9.479.49%
CASM (¢)9.329.50(2)%
CASM (excluding fuel) (¢) (b)6.716.513%
CASM + net interest (¢) (b)9.259.40(2)%
Adjusted CASM (¢) (b)9.429.49(1)%
Adjusted CASM (excluding fuel) (¢) (b)6.816.505%
Adjusted CASM (excluding fuel), SLA 1,000 (¢)(b)(c)6.446.52(1)%
Adjusted CASM + net interest (¢) (b)9.359.40(1)%
Adjusted CASM + net interest, SLA 1,000 (¢)(b)(d)8.849.43(6)%
Fuel cost per gallon ($)2.733.10(12)%
Fuel gallons consumed (thousands)381,444364,6065%
Full-time equivalent employees7,9137,21410%

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(a)Figures may not recalculate due to rounding. See “Glossary of Airline Terms” for definitions of terms used in this table.

(b)These metrics are not calculated in accordance with GAAP. For the reconciliation to corresponding GAAP measures, see “Results of Operations—Reconciliation of CASM to CASM (excluding fuel), Adjusted CASM (excluding fuel), Adjusted CASM, Adjusted CASM including net interest and CASM including net interest.”

(c)Stage Length Adjusted (SLA) to 1,000 miles: Adjusted CASM (excluding fuel) * Square root (stage length / 1,000).

(d)Stage Length Adjusted (SLA) to 1,000 miles: Adjusted CASM + net interest * Square root (stage length / 1,000).

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Liquidity and Capital Resources

Overview

As of December 31, 2024, we had $935 million of total available liquidity, consisting of $730 million in unrestricted cash and cash equivalents and $205 million in total undrawn capacity on our Revolving Loan Facility. We had $502 million of total debt, net, of which $261 million was short-term and consisted primarily of amounts outstanding under our Pre-delivery Credit Facilities. Our total debt, net was comprised of $329 million outstanding under our PDP Financing Facility, $100 million outstanding under our pre-purchased miles facility with Barclays Bank Delaware (“Barclays”), $66 million in 10-year, low-interest loans (collectively, the “PSP Promissory Notes”) from the U.S. Department of the Treasury (the “Treasury”) and $12 million in secured indebtedness for our headquarters building, partially offset by $5 million in deferred debt acquisition costs.

During the year ended December 31, 2024, we entered into a series of transactions designed to provide us with a revolving line of credit available for general corporate purposes, as well as increased capacity for financing facilities intended to fund aircraft PDPs. The new Pre-delivery Credit Facilities, which consist of the Second PDP Financing Facility and the Third PDP Financing Facility, in addition to the pre-existing PDP Financing Facility, increased overall borrowing capacity from $365 million to $478 million. We also entered into the Revolving Loan Facility, which provided $205 million of commitments secured by our loyalty program and brand-related assets and was undrawn as of December 31, 2024.

During the year ended December 31, 2024, we increased our borrowings under the Barclays agreement by an additional $20 million. We also repaid the remaining outstanding balance, inclusive of any unpaid principal, interest and other amounts related to our previous headquarters note and subsequent to the payoff of the headquarters note, we entered into loan agreements in the total amount of $12 million with a different lender secured by our headquarters. Please refer to “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements — 8. Debt” for additional information.

On February 2, 2022, we repaid the term loan facility entered into with the Treasury (the Treasury Loan”), which included the $150 million principal balance along with accrued interest and associated fees of $1 million. As a result, we recognized a $7 million non-cash charge from the write-off of unamortized deferred financing costs associated with the Treasury Loan for the year ended December 31, 2022.

In connection with the PSP Promissory Notes and the Treasury Loan, we issued warrants to purchase 3,117,940 shares of our common stock at a weighted-average price of $6.95 per share. We have the intent and ability to settle the warrants issued in common shares and we have classified the warrant liability to additional paid-in capital on our consolidated balance sheet. These warrants will expire between May 2025 and June 2026. No warrants have been exercised as of December 31, 2024.

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We continue to monitor our covenant compliance with various parties, including, but not limited to, our lenders and credit card processors. As of the date of this report, we are in compliance with all of our covenants.

The following table presents the major indicators of our financial condition and liquidity as of:

December 31,
20242023
($ in millions)
Cash and cash equivalents$740$609
Total current assets, excluding cash and cash equivalents$250$262
Total current liabilities, excluding current maturities of long-term debt and operating leases$927$858
Current maturities of long-term debt, net$261$251
Long-term debt, net$241$219
Stockholders’ equity$604$507
Debt to capital ratio45%48%
Debt to capital ratio, including operating lease obligations88%87%

Use of Cash and Future Obligations

We expect to meet our cash requirements for the next twelve months through use of our available cash and cash equivalents, our Pre-delivery Credit Facilities, and cash flows from operating activities. We expect to meet our long-term cash requirements with cash flows from operating and financing activities, including, but not limited to, potential future borrowings under the Pre-delivery Credit Facilities, our undrawn Revolving Loan Facility and/or potential issuances of debt or equity. The Revolving Loan Facility also permits us to enter into additional indebtedness secured by our loyalty program and brand-related assets, to the extent such indebtedness is pari passu to that of the Revolving Loan Facility. Our primary uses of cash are for working capital, aircraft PDPs, debt repayments and capital expenditures.

Our single largest capital commitment relates to the acquisition of aircraft. As of December 31, 2024, we operated all of our 159 aircraft under operating leases. PDPs relating to future deliveries under our agreement with Airbus are required at various times prior to each aircraft’s delivery date. As of December 31, 2024, our Pre-delivery Credit Facilities, which allow us to draw up to an aggregate of $478 million, had $329 million outstanding. As of December 31, 2024, we had $404 million of PDPs held by Airbus, which have been partially financed by our Pre-delivery Credit Facilities.

As of December 31, 2024, we had a firm obligation to purchase 187 A320neo family aircraft and 11 additional spare engines to be delivered by 2031. Of our aircraft commitments, 29 had committed operating leases for deliveries occurring between 2025 and 2026. We intend to evaluate financing options for the remaining aircraft.

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During the year ended December 31, 2024, we reached an agreement with one of our aircraft lessors which eliminated requirements to pay maintenance reserves held as collateral in advance of our required performance of major maintenance activities on its aircraft leases. As a result of the agreement, the lessor disbursed back to us previously paid aircraft maintenance deposits of approximately $104 million, resulting in us no longer having any aircraft maintenance deposits with any of our lessors as of December 31, 2024.

The following table summarizes current and long-term material cash requirements as of December 31, 2024, which we expect to fund primarily with operating and financing cash flows (in millions):

Material Cash Requirements
20252026202720282029ThereafterTotal
Debt obligations(a)$261$61$7$9$92$77$507
Interest commitments(b)27141295572
Operating lease obligations(c)6866626375604852,2175,247
Flight equipment purchase obligations(d)1,2581,3292,0542,1112,2612,54411,557
Total$2,232$2,066$2,710$2,689$2,843$4,843$17,383

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(a)Includes principal commitments only associated with our Pre-delivery Credit Facilities with borrowings as of December 31, 2024, our affinity card unsecured debt due through 2029, our building notes through September 2031 and the PSP Promissory Notes through 2031. See “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements — 8. Debt”.

(b)Represents interest and commitment fees on debt obligations and our undrawn Revolving Loan Facility.

(c)Represents gross cash payments related to our operating fixed lease obligations that are not subject to discount as compared to the obligations measured on our consolidated balance sheets. See “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements — 9. Operating Leases”.

(d)Represents purchase commitments for aircraft and engines. See “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements — 12. Commitments and Contingencies”.

Cash Flows

The following table presents information regarding our cash flows in the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023:

Year Ended December 31,
20242023
(in millions)
Net cash used in operating activities$(82)$(261)
Net cash used in investing activities(75)(90)
Net cash provided by financing activities288199
Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash131(152)
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of period609761
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period$740$609

Operating Activities

During the year ended December 31, 2024, net cash used in operating activities totaled $82 million, which was driven by non-cash adjustments of $204 million, partially offset by $85 million of net income and $37 million of inflows from changes in operating assets and liabilities.

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The $37 million of inflows from changes in operating assets and liabilities included:

•$82 million in decreases in our aircraft maintenance deposits;

•$77 million in increases in other liabilities driven primarily by leased aircraft return accruals, passenger taxes payable and other operational related accruals;

•$41 million in increases in our air traffic liability driven by increased booking and related fares;

•$22 million in decreases in accounts receivable; and

•$20 million in decreases in supplies and other current assets; partially offset by

•$190 million in increases in other long-term assets primarily driven by increases in capitalized maintenance, prepaid maintenance and deferred purchase incentives; and

•$15 million in decreases in accounts payable.

Our net income of $85 million was also adjusted by the following non-cash items to arrive at cash used in operating activities:

•$294 million in gains recognized on sale-leaseback transactions; partially offset by

•$72 million in depreciation and amortization;

•$16 million in stock-based compensation expense;

•$1 million loss on extinguishment of debt; and

•$1 million in amortization of cash flow hedges, net of tax.

During the year ended December 31, 2023, net cash used in operating activities totaled $261 million, which was driven by an $11 million net loss, $211 million of outflows from changes in operating assets and liabilities and non-cash adjustments totaling $39 million.

The $211 million of outflows from changes in operating assets and liabilities included:

•$163 million in increases in other long-term assets driven by increases in capitalized maintenance, prepaid maintenance, capitalized interest and forgivable loans, partially offset by a decreased deferred tax asset;

•$60 million in decreases in our air traffic liability;

•$45 million in decreases in other liabilities driven by leased aircraft return payments, partially offset by an increase in other operational related accruals;

•$16 million in increases in aircraft maintenance deposits; and

•$7 million in increases in supplies and other current assets; partially offset by

•$47 million in increases in accounts payable; and

•$33 million in decreases in accounts receivable.

Our net loss of $11 million was also adjusted by the following non-cash items to arrive at cash used in operating activities:

•$147 million in gains recognized on sale-leaseback transactions; partially offset by

•$50 million in depreciation and amortization;

•$43 million in deferred tax expense primarily due to the recognition of a valuation allowance;

•$14 million in stock-based compensation expense; and

•$1 million in amortization of cash flow hedges, net of tax.

Investing Activities

During the year ended December 31, 2024, net cash used in investing activities totaled $75 million, driven by:

•$76 million in cash outflows for capital expenditures; and

•$2 million in cash outflows relating to other investing activity; partially offset by

•$3 million in net proceeds for PDP activity.

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During the year ended December 31, 2023, net cash used in investing activities totaled $90 million, driven by:

•$51 million in cash outflows for capital expenditures;

•$36 million in net outflows for PDP activity; and

•$3 million in cash outflows relating to other investing activity.

Financing Activities

During the year ended December 31, 2024, net cash provided by financing activities was $288 million, primarily driven by:

•$476 million in cash proceeds from debt issuances, consisting of $444 million of net borrowings on our Pre-delivery Credit Facilities, $20 million in draws on our Barclays facility and $12 million in new borrowings on our building note;

•$264 million in net proceeds received from sale-leaseback transactions; and

•$1 million in proceeds from the exercise of stock options; partially offset by

•$447 million in cash outflows from principal repayments on debt, which include $431 million in Pre-delivery Credit Facilities payments and $16 million in payments pursuant to our previous building note; and

•$6 million cash outflows for payments related to tax withholdings of share-based awards.

During the year ended December 31, 2023, net cash provided by financing activities was $199 million, primarily driven by:

•$163 million in net proceeds received from sale-leaseback transactions;

•$171 million in cash proceeds from debt issuances, consisting of $162 million in draws on our PDP Financing Facility, net of issuance costs, and a $9 million draw on our Barclays facility; and

•$1 million in proceeds from the exercise of stock options; partially offset by

•$131 million in cash outflows from principal repayments on debt, which include $130 million in PDP Financing Facility payments and $1 million in payments pursuant to our floating rate building note; and

•$5 million cash outflows for payments related to tax withholdings of share-based awards.

As of December 31, 2024, we did not have any other off-balance sheet arrangements that have or are reasonably likely to have a current or future effect on our results of operations, financial condition or cash flows.

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Commitments and Contractual Obligations

As of December 31, 2024, our contractual purchase commitments include future aircraft and spare engine acquisitions. Except to the extent set forth in the applicable notes to our consolidated financial statements, the table below does not include commitments that are contingent on events or other factors that are uncertain or unknown at this time.

A320neoA321neoTotalAircraft(a)Engines
Year Ending
2025813212
2026715224
2027826343
2028430342
20293636
Thereafter4040
Total2716018711

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(a)    While the commitments presented above reflect the agreed-upon delivery dates as of December 31, 2024, we have recently experienced delays in the deliveries of Airbus aircraft which may persist in future periods.

As of December 31, 2024, all 159 aircraft in our fleet were subject to operating leases. These leases expire between 2025 and 2036. Leases for 59 of our aircraft could generally be renewed based on market rates at the end of the lease term for extensions ranging from two years to four years.

Separately, we have various leases with respect to real property as well as various agreements among airlines relating to fuel consortia or fuel farms at airports. Under some of these contracts, we are party to joint and several liability regarding damages. Under others, where we are a member of an LLC or other entity that contracts directly with the airport operator, liabilities are borne through the fuel consortia structure. Our aircraft, services, equipment lease and sale and financing agreements typically contain provisions requiring us, as the lessee, obligor or recipient of services, to indemnify the other parties to those agreements, including certain of those parties’ related persons, against virtually any liabilities that might arise from the use or operation of the aircraft or such other equipment. We believe that our insurance would cover most of our exposure to liabilities and related indemnities associated with the commercial real estate leases and aircraft, services, equipment lease and sale and financing agreements described above.

Certain of our aircraft and other financing transactions include provisions that require us to make payments to preserve an expected economic return to the lenders if that economic return is diminished due to certain changes in law or regulations. In certain of these financing transactions and other agreements, we also bear the risk of certain changes in tax laws that would subject payments to non-U.S. entities to withholding taxes.

Certain of these indemnities survive the length of the related financing or lease. We cannot reasonably estimate our potential future payments under the indemnities and related provisions described above because we cannot predict when and under what circumstances these provisions may be triggered and the amount that would be payable if the provisions were triggered because the amounts would be based on facts and circumstances existing at such time.

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Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

We prepare our consolidated financial statements in accordance with GAAP. In doing so, we make estimates and assumptions that affect our reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenue and expenses, as well as related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. To the extent that there are material differences between these estimates and actual results, our financial condition and results of operations could be affected. We base our estimates on past experience and other assumptions that we believe are reasonable under the circumstances, and we evaluate these estimates on an ongoing basis. We refer to accounting estimates of this type as critical accounting estimates, which we discuss below. For a detailed discussion of our significant accounting policies, please refer to “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements — 1. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies.”

Frequent Flyer Program

Our FRONTIER Miles program provides frequent flyer travel awards to program members based on accumulated miles. Miles are accumulated as a result of travel, purchases using the co-branded credit card and purchases from other participating partners. As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, our total frequent flyer liability was $49 million and $45 million, respectively.

The contract to sell miles under the co-branded credit card partnership has multiple performance obligations. The agreement provides for joint marketing, and we account for this agreement consistently with the accounting method that allocates the consideration received to the individual products and services delivered based on relative stand-alone selling prices. We determined the best estimate of the selling prices by considering discounted cash flow analysis using multiple inputs and assumptions, including: (1) the expected number of miles awarded and number of miles redeemed, (2) equivalent ticket value (“ETV”) for the award travel obligation, (3) licensing of brand and access to member lists, (4) advertising and marketing efforts and (5) airline benefits. Any changes in the assumptions outlined above related to our co-branded credit card partnership at agreement inception would impact the allocation of consideration received and the resulting timing of when revenues from the each of the specific performance obligation would be recognized.

We estimate breakage (miles that are expected to expire unutilized) based on statistical models derived from historical redemption patterns. Breakage assumptions, including the period over which miles are expected to be redeemed, the actual redemption activity for miles, or the estimated fair value of miles expected to be redeemed, could have an impact on revenues in the year in which the change occurs and in future years. Additionally, we estimate ETV, which is used to determine the value per mile, based on the historical prices of the flights redeemed using miles and changes to these assumptions could impact the initial allocation of consideration in our co-branded credit card partnership or the amount of revenue recognized or deferred for miles accumulated as a result of travel.

For the year ended December 31, 2024, holding other factors constant, a 10% change in our estimated frequent flyer breakage rate would have resulted in a change to passenger revenues of approximately $3 million, or less than 1%.

Leased Aircraft Return Costs

Our aircraft operating lease agreements generally require us to return aircraft airframes and engines to the lessor in a certain condition or pay an amount to the lessor based on the airframe and engine’s actual return condition. These return provisions are evaluated at inception of the lease and throughout the lease terms and are accounted for as either fixed or variable lease payments (depending on the nature of the lease return condition). When such costs become both probable and estimable, they are accrued as a component of supplemental rent through the remaining lease term. Changes to the assumptions utilized in the estimation of these lease return costs are accounted for on a cumulative catch-up basis. As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, our total leased aircraft return cost liability was $49 million and $26 million, respectively.

In 2024 and 2023, we extended the term for certain aircraft operating leases that were slated to expire between 2025 and 2027, and between 2023 and 2024, respectively. For the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, we

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recorded a benefit of $14 million and $53 million, respectively, to aircraft rent in our consolidated statement of operations related to previously accrued lease return costs that were variable in nature and associated with the anticipated utilization and condition of the airframes at the original return date. Given the extension of these aircraft operating leases, such variable return costs are no longer probable of occurring.

In assessing the future potential lease return costs we consider the future anticipated costs and scope of maintenance events (largely driven by projected number of flight hours and cycles estimated to be utilized on the aircraft and engines prior to return), estimated timing of such events including the timing since the last expected major maintenance event, the date the aircraft is due to be returned to the lessor, contractual terms of the lease and maintenance provider agreements, current condition of each aircraft, age of the aircraft at lease expiration, type of engine, projected number of hours and cycles run on the engines at the time of return and the number of projected cycles run on the airframe at the time of return, among other estimates.

If actual estimates vary materially from those utilized in the estimation of lease return costs we could incur more or less supplemental rent expense depending on the direction of the adjustments necessary. There can be no assurance that the projections utilized will not materially change in the future given the inherent difficulty in forecasting future utilization of aircraft over their lease terms; however, the estimates utilized are the best available at the time the financial statements were issued.

Income Tax Valuation Allowance

As of December 31, 2024, our total deferred tax assets, net of a $30 million valuation allowance, were $988 million, which included $67 million of deferred tax assets related to NOL carry forwards. These deferred tax assets are comprised of $45 million, $11 million and $11 million related to NOLs available to reduce future federal, state and foreign taxable income, respectively. We assess whether it is more likely than not that sufficient taxable income will be generated to realize deferred tax assets, and a valuation allowance is established if it is not likely that deferred income tax assets will be realized. We consider sources of taxable income from prior period carryback periods, future reversals of existing taxable temporary differences, tax planning strategies and future taxable income when assessing the future utilization of deferred tax assets.

As part of our assessment of whether a valuation allowance is warranted, we consider all available positive and negative evidence in conjunction with evaluating the source and availability of taxable income to utilize such deferred tax assets. As of December 31, 2023, a significant piece of objective negative evidence evaluated was the cumulative loss incurred over the three-year period ended December 31, 2023. Such objective evidence limits the ability to consider other subjective evidence, such as our projections for future growth. As a result of our assessment, we concluded that as of December 31, 2023, it is more likely than not that the benefit from a portion of our federal and state deferred tax assets will not be realized and we recorded a valuation allowance of $37 million against our federal and state deferred tax assets.

During the year ended December 31, 2024, as a result of the change in the overall net deferred tax position net income generated, we reduced the valuation allowance by $18 million and maintained a valuation allowance of $19 million against our federal and state NOL related deferred tax assets due to the uncertainty of future income to be generated. Furthermore, we have a valuation allowance related to our $11 million of foreign deferred tax assets. The amount of the deferred tax assets considered realizable, however, could be adjusted if estimates of future taxable income during the carryforward period are reduced or increased or if objective negative evidence in the form of cumulative losses is no longer present and additional weight is given to subjective evidence such as our projections for growth.

Long-Term Maintenance Agreements

We have entered into maintenance agreements with both of our engine providers, CFM International and Pratt & Whitney, to cover the primary maintenance services of the engines for a majority of our fleet. The arrangements stipulate that we pay a baseline per-flight-hour rate based on monthly engine utilization over the life of the arrangement. Given that the accounting for the arrangement will follow our heavy maintenance accounting and is dependent on many projected factors such as flight hours, shop visit timing and scope, and the stand-alone value of

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certain maintenance services, there are significant estimates that impact the accounting of our per-flight-hour maintenance agreements including amounts capitalized, expensed and treated as capitalized maintenance as well as the timing of each.

As of December 31, 2024, we had capitalized $209 million of rate per hour payments which are probable to be recovered via future shop visits.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

See “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements — 1. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for a discussion of recent accounting pronouncements.

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GLOSSARY OF AIRLINE TERMS

Set forth below is a glossary of industry terms:

“A320 family” means, collectively, the Airbus series of single-aisle aircraft, including the A320ceo, A320neo, A321ceo and A321neo aircraft.

“A320neo family” means, collectively, the Airbus series of single-aisle aircraft that feature the new engine option, including the A320neo and A321neo aircraft.

“Adjusted CASM” is a non-GAAP measure and means operating expenses, excluding special items, divided by ASMs. For a discussion of such special items and a reconciliation of CASM to CASM (excluding fuel), Adjusted CASM (excluding fuel), Adjusted CASM, Adjusted CASM including net interest and CASM including net interest, please see “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Results of Operations.”

“Adjusted CASM including net interest” or “Adjusted CASM + net interest” is a non-GAAP measure and means the sum of Adjusted CASM and net interest expense (income) excluding special items divided by ASMs. For a discussion of such special items and a reconciliation of CASM to CASM (excluding fuel), Adjusted CASM (excluding fuel), Adjusted CASM, Adjusted CASM including net interest and CASM including net interest, please see “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Results of Operations.”

“Adjusted CASM (excluding fuel)” is a non-GAAP measure and means operating expenses less aircraft fuel expense, excluding special items, divided by ASMs. For a discussion of such special items and a reconciliation of CASM to CASM (excluding fuel), Adjusted CASM (excluding fuel), Adjusted CASM, Adjusted CASM including net interest and CASM including net interest, please see “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Results of Operations.”

“Air traffic liability” means the value of tickets, unearned membership fees and other related fees sold in advance of travel.

“Ancillary revenue” means the sum of non-fare passenger revenue and other revenue.

“Available seat miles” or “ASMs” means seats (empty or full) multiplied by miles the seats are flown.

“Average aircraft in service” means the average number of aircraft used in flight operations, as calculated on a daily basis.

“Average daily aircraft utilization” means block hours divided by number of days in the period divided by average aircraft in service.

“Average stage length” means the average number of miles flown per flight segment.

“Block hours” means the number of hours during which the aircraft is in revenue service, measured from the time of gate departure before take-off until the time of gate arrival at the destination.

“CASM” or “unit costs” means operating expenses divided by ASMs.

“CASM (excluding fuel)” is a non-GAAP measure and means operating expenses less aircraft fuel expense, divided by ASMs.

“CASM including net interest” or “CASM + net interest” is a non-GAAP measure and means the sum of CASM and net interest expense (income) divided by ASMs.

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“DOT” means the United States Department of Transportation.

“EPA” means the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

“Fare revenue” consists of base fares for air travel, including miles redeemed under our frequent flyer program, unused and expired passenger credits, other redeemed or expired travel credits and revenue derived from charter flights.

“Fare revenue per passenger” means fare revenue divided by passengers.

“Load factor” means the percentage of aircraft seat miles actually occupied on a flight (RPMs divided by ASMs).

“Net interest expenses (income)” means interest expense, capitalized interest, interest income and other.

“Non-fare passenger revenue” consists of fees related to certain ancillary items such as baggage, service fees, seat selection, and other passenger-related revenue that is not included as part of base fares for travel.

“Non-fare passenger revenue per passenger” means non-fare passenger revenue divided by passengers.

“Other revenue” consists primarily of services not directly related to providing transportation, such as the advertising, marketing and brand elements of the FRONTIER Miles affinity credit card program and commissions revenue from the sale of items such as rental cars and hotels.

“Other revenue per passenger” means other revenue divided by passengers.

“Passengers” means the total number of passengers flown on all flight segments.

“Passenger revenue” consists of fare revenue and non-fare passenger revenue.

“PDP” means pre-delivery deposit payments, which are payments required by aircraft manufacturers in advance of delivery of the aircraft.

“RASM” or “unit revenue” means total revenue divided by ASMs.

“Revenue passenger miles” or “RPMs” means the number of miles flown by passengers.

“Total ancillary revenue per passenger” means ancillary revenue divided by passengers.

“Total revenue per passenger” means the sum of fare revenue, non-fare passenger revenue, and other revenue (collectively, “Total Revenue”) divided by passengers.

“VFR” means visiting friends and relatives.

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