Frontier Airlines Boeing 737-200 Arrow-Jet

Additional Information:

The Boeing 737 is a narrow-body aircraft produced by Boeing at its Renton factory in Washington. Developed to supplement the Boeing 727 on short and thin routes, the twinjet retained the 707 fuselage width and six abreast seating but with two underwing turbofans instead of four. Envisioned in 1964, the initial 737-100 made its first flight in April 1967 and entered service in February 1968. The lengthened 737-200 entered service in April 1968. The 737-100/200 original variants were powered by Pratt & Whitney JT8D low-bypass turbofan engines and offered seating for 85 to 130 passengers.

The 737-200 was a 737-100 with an extended fuselage and entered service in April 1968. The 1,095th and last delivery of a 737-200 series aircraft was in August 1988.

Frontier Airlines was created on June 1, 1950 as a merger of three carriers; Monarch Air Lines of Denver, Arizona Airways of Phoenix, and Challenger Airlines of Salt Lake City. Frontier was based in Denver at the former offices of Monarch Air Lines and initial routes through New Mexico included an Albuquerque to Salt Lake City route with stops at Gallup and Farmington, NM, Durango, Cortez and Grand Junction, CO, and Price and Provo, UT. By the mid 1950’s the southern route was redirected from Silver City to Albuquerque rather than El Paso. The Albuquerque to Salt Lake City route as well as the Denver to Gallup portion of the Denver-Phoenix route was formerly flown by Monarch Air Lines and the routes into Arizona were obtained from the operating certificate of Arizona.

The last of the Convair 580’s operating for Frontier were replaced by Boeing 737’s on June 1, 1982 giving Farmington its first jet service. Some flights operated nonstop from Denver to Farmington but due to the short runways at the Farmington airport, the 737’s had to stop in Durango for more fuel before continuing back to Denver. On August 24, 1986, Frontier succumbed to bankruptcy and completely shut down ending 36 years of operations which included service to New Mexico the entire time.

Frontier Airlines began 737-200 service to Albuquerque in 1969 with nonstop flights to Denver, Dallas, Las Vegas, and Tucson which continued onto Phoenix. Frontier had originally acquired Boeing 727 jets in 1966 but quickly replaced them with 737’s which would continue to fly for the airline until Frontier shut down in 1986. The first Frontier 737 was N7371F.

A Frontier Boeing 737-200 sits on the tarmac at the Albuquerque Sunport in 1972.

GALLERY: