Frontier Airlines’ management is about to undergo major and sudden changes.
Frontier said Monday that airline president James Dempsey has been named interim chief executive, immediately replacing longtime CEO Barry Biffle, who will stay with the airline in an advisory capacity for two weeks.
A spokesperson for the airline declined to reveal any other details about Biffler’s departure, which has not been previously announced or teased.
“The Board deeply appreciates Barry’s leadership and dedication to Frontier over the past 11 years,” Chairman Bill Franke said in a statement. “We are grateful for his many contributions during his tenure.”
Biffle joined Frontier in 2014, first as president and then as a company executive in March 2016. Prior to that, he spent eight years at Spirit Airlines as chief marketing officer. Biffler also worked at Envoy Airlines and Medellin-based VivaColombia, as well as the now-defunct US Airways.
Biffle is considered an outspoken executive, but he still guided Frontier through turbulent times including the COVID-19 pandemic and helped the airline expand as competition squeezed the ultra-low-cost carrier market.
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Meanwhile, Dempsey joined Frontier in 2014 as chief financial officer, having previously worked at Ryanair.
“Jimmy has been a valuable member of Frontier’s senior leadership team for more than a decade and has been instrumental in the company’s development and growth during that time,” Franke said. “We believe Jimmy is uniquely qualified to guide our airline into the future.”
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