Wake-Up Call: The final Frontier

I'm about to head to Denver International Airport, which is suddenly in the shadows. Not because of the storm cloud that dumped a record amount of rain on DIA last evening -- but because Republic Airways' $109 million bid to buy Frontier out of bankruptcy could mean that Denver will...

By Patricia Calhoun

June 24, 2009

Audio By Carbonatix

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I'm about to head to Denver International Airport, which is suddenly in the shadows. Not because of the storm cloud that dumped a record amount of rain on DIA last evening -- but because Republic Airways' $109 million bid to buy Frontier out of bankruptcy could mean that Denver will lose its hometown airline.

Again. I still fondly remember the earlier incarnation of Frontier, which flew out of Stapleton and outfitted its planes with magazines that included folksy columns from Captain Chick Stevens. That airline shares little with the current Frontier, beyond a name, a Denver base and a certain love of shtick -- this time in the form of talking animals.

Hard to believe that Grizz would be quite so feisty living in Indianapolis, Republics' hometown.

Frontier has a date in bankruptcy court on July 13

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Patricia Calhoun is editor-in-chief of Westword, the alt-weekly she co-founded in September 1977. She’s been inducted into the Colorado Press Association Hall of Fame, the Association of Alternative Newsmedia Hall of Fame and the Colorado Restaurant Association Hall of Fame. She’s also received dozens of local, state and national awards for writing, including first place for feature writing and first place for column writing with the Society of Professional Journalists. Patricia is a weekly commentator on Colorado Inside Out, PBS 12's public affairs roundtable, which has won two Emmys.

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