Lynx Aviation was formed by Frontier Airlines Holdings on September 6, 2006. It was formed to help reduce costs; Frontier hoped to cut costs on routes 650 miles or shorter by 30%, allowing entry into new markets.The plan was originally to begin service in May 2007.
The carrier received a waiver from the United States Department of Transportation to begin selling seats prior to receipt of their Airline Operating Certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration. Plans were delayed when Frontier announced on September 4, 2007 that FAA certification would not be met in time for the initial launch date of Lynx Aviation service. In the interim, these routes were flown with existing aircraft flown by Republic Airlines and Horizon Air, and beginning in November 2007 aircraft flown by ExpressJet Airlines. On December 5, 2007, Lynx Aviation received its Airline Operating Certificate from the FAA. Lynx began passenger operations December 7, 2007.
On April 11, 2008, Frontier Airlines Holdings announced that it and all of its subsidiaries had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection due to its credit card processor withholding payment from ticket sales.
On April 23, 2008, Frontier terminated their service agreement with Republic Airlines. This left Lynx as the only regional providing feeder service for Frontier.
Planned closure
On February 4, 2010, Republic Airways announced their intent to close Lynx by September 2010, and transitioning the routes operated by Lynx to Republic Embraer 170/190 regional jets, after determining the turboprop aircraft operated by Lynx placed the company at a competitive disadvantage carrying the same number of passengers. The closure would result in the loss of about 175 jobs, although those laid off would be offered new jobs at Republic or Frontier. To this end, Republic said that it would remove three aircraft from Lynx's fleet on April 6, with a further three scheduled to leave the fleet on April 19. Additionally, service to Tulsa and Fargo would be terminated on April 5.
On 19 August 2010, Frontier announced that Lynx would continue operations between Denver and three Colorado cities—Aspen, Durango and Colorado Springs—using three Bombardier Q400 aircraft, though this service was expected to end in April 2011. In January 2011, it was announced that four Lynx Q400s would continue to operate indefinitely.
Lynx Aviation was eventually merged into Republic Airways with 4 remining Q400's. After Pinnacle holdings closed Colgan, Republic began to take on the ex-Colgan Q-400s and began operating for United. Competing agains republic airways' own Frontier airlines.
