Frontier Airlines Briefly Grounds US Flights Amid Spirit Merger

DENVER, CO — Frontier Airlines briefly grounded all flights in the United States on Monday due to a technology issue, the airline confirmed.

The Federal Aviation Administration wrote in the advisory that the ground stop was issued for all Frontier Flights nationwide due to an "automation issue." The airline requested the stop, the advisory said, and it was possible the ground stop would be extended.

Minutes later, the ground stop was canceled for all airports at the airline's request.

More than 100 Frontier Airlines flights were canceled Monday, according to the flight-tracking site FlightAware. Nearly 115 were delayed.

Frontier told Patch in a statement Monday that it experienced a technology issue that led to some flight delays and cancellations. The issue was identified and resolved, and the airline was working to restore its flight schedule for the rest of the day. The ground stop ended and planes were back in the air, the airline said.

Frontier was founded in 1994 in Denver and flies to more than 110 airports. The airline offers about 400 flights a day, according to its website.

The news comes as Frontier, based in Denver, and Spirit airlines announced the two discount fare carriers would merge in a deal valued at $6.6 billion. The deal would make the combined airline the fifth largest in the country, CNBC reported. Spirit is based in Miramar, Florida.

“This transaction is centered around creating an aggressive ultra-low fare competitor to serve our guests even better, expand career opportunities for our team members and increase competitive pressure, resulting in more consumer-friendly fares for the flying public,” Spirit President and CEO Ted Christie said in a statement.