Frontier CEO Says ‘Fortress Hubs’ Hurt Airline Competition

Allowing one airline to control a majority of gates at so-called “fortress hubs” is hurting competition and customers, Barry Biffle, chief executive officer of budget carrier Frontier Group Holdings Inc., plans to tell US senators Tuesday.

“That kind of dominance doesn’t just give those carriers pricing power — it gives them control over who else gets to enter the market,” Biffle said in prepared remarks for a Senate Judiciary subcommittee hearing.

Securing gate access at airports is one of the biggest barriers for ultralow-cost carriers such as Frontier, which can drive down fares by as much as 40% ...