A321

US-based ultra low-cost airline Frontier Airlines is reportedly planning to buy 12 Airbus A320 family aircraft in a $1.3bn deal.

The order will include ten A321 and two A320 airliners, which will replace the carrier’s larger variants and phase out its Airbus A319 airliners.

With the new aircraft, Frontier’s fleet will increase to 101 aircraft over five years. The airline expects an annual growth of around 15% in the coming years.

Frontier Airlines CEO Barry Biffle was quoted by Bloomberg as saying: "Our plans are to be the lowest-cost carrier in the US.

"In order to do that, you have to be as efficient as possible."

The narrow-body A321 models are designed to accommodate 230 passengers, 67% more than the A319, while the A320 aircraft can accommodate 186 passengers.

"Our plans are to be the lowest-cost carrier in the US."

The latest purchase deal will allow Frontier to carry more people on a single trip thereby facilitating its strategy to become an ultra low-cost airline with discounted base fares.

"We would have had some challenges in the next two years, where our fleet might have either been not growing year-over-year or might have temporary periods of shrinking," Biffle added.

Majority-owned by private equity firm Indigo Partners, Frontier Airlines expects to receive the A320 and A321 aircraft in 2016 and 2017 respectively. The aircraft will be powered by CFM International engines.

Last year, the airline has selected the largest member of the Airbus A320 family for the first time with an order for nine A321ceo aircraft.

Indigo Partners acquired Frontier Airlines from Republic Airways in December 2013.

Image: An Airbus A321 aircraft. Photo: courtesy of Fixion / Airbus SAS.