Cash and Liquidity
Frontier ended the fourth quarter of 2021 with $918 million of unrestricted cash and cash equivalents. During February 2022, the Company repaid the $150 million outstanding under the Treasury Loan. The repayment of this loan unencumbered the Company’s co-branded credit card program and related brand assets that secured the Treasury obligation and makes those assets available to access substantial additional liquidity, if needed, based on similar debt financings by other airlines.
Revenue Performance
Total operating revenue for the fourth quarter of 2021 of $609 million was 93 percent of the revenue recognized in the comparable 2019 quarter, while total revenue per passenger of $103.41 was 96 percent of the revenue recognized in the comparable 2019 quarter. Total revenue per passenger included $63.00 of ancillary revenue, consistent with the third quarter of 2021 and eight percent higher than the $58.18 of ancillary revenue per passenger generated during the comparable 2019 quarter.
Capacity during the fourth quarter of 2021 demonstrated resilience at 7,836 million ASMs, which was approximately four percent higher than the capacity achieved in the fourth quarter of 2019. Full year 2021 capacity was approximately four percent lower compared to 2019, which, when contextualized with fourth quarter 2021 ASMs, highlights the recovery weighted to the back half of the year.
Frontier had 18 percent more average aircraft in service during the fourth quarter of 2021 compared to the fourth quarter of 2019. Frontier’s average daily aircraft utilization continued to recover, improving from 10.6 hours per day in the third quarter of 2021 to 10.9 hours per day in the fourth quarter 2021. The fleet operated at a 74.2 percent load factor during the quarter, which was impacted by the Delta and Omicron variants. Further improvement is expected to the utilization and load factor levels achieved in the fourth quarter of 2019 as the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic continues.
Cost Performance
Total operating expenses for the fourth quarter of 2021, on both a GAAP and adjusted basis, were $695 million, including $186 million of fuel expenses at an average cost per gallon of $2.43. Frontier’s adjusted total operating expenses, excluding fuel, were $509 million, reflecting lower employee and station-related costs. On an Adjusted CASM (excluding fuel) basis, operating expenses were 6.50 cents during the quarter compared to 5.21 cents in the fourth quarter of 2019 and 6.55 cents during the third quarter of 2021, reflecting continued cost discipline while managing lower utilization.
Fleet
As of December 31, 2021, Frontier had a fleet of 110 Airbus single-aisle aircraft, consisting of 73 A320neos, 21 A321ceos and 16 A320ceos. All aircraft in the fleet are financed with operating leases that expire between 2022 and 2033. Frontier’s fleet is the most fuel-efficient of all major U.S. carriers when measured by ASMs per fuel gallon consumed. This fuel efficiency reflects Frontier’s operation of a large number of aircraft with new generation, fuel-efficient engines, lightweight seats, and an efficient seating layout.
Frontier completed an order of 91 additional A321neo aircraft in November 2021 that are scheduled for delivery between 2023 and 2029. These aircraft commitments bring the Company’s total aircraft order as of December 31, 2021 to 234 aircraft to be delivered through 2029, including 76 A320neo aircraft and 158 A321neo aircraft. These aircraft commitments will enable the Company to significantly increase in size by 2029. In addition, the entry into service of the A321neo aircraft in the second half of 2022 will advance Frontier’s structural advantage in fuel and operating expense efficiency versus the industry.
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