Frontier Downsizes Long Island MacArthur Airport Operations to Just One Route

Frontier Airlines is quietly paring down its schedule at Long Island MacArthur Airport (ISP), leaving just a single direct route on its fall and winter roster, according to reporting from Newsday.

While the ultra-low-cost carrier served five destinations out of MacArthur earlier this year, including Fort Myers, Palm Beach, Myrtle Beach, Tampa, and Orlando, that lineup is shrinking. Myrtle Beach service wraps up on September 8, followed by Tampa on October 5. Fort Myers and Palm Beach have already been wiped from the upcoming schedule. By December, Orlando will be the only route left standing.

The move marks a significant shift for Long Island travelers who rely on the airport as an easy, lower-stress alternative to JFK and LaGuardia.

Frontier saus this isn’t a permanent exit from Long Island.

Rob Harris, corporate communications manager for Frontier Airlines, told Newsday that the changes are seasonal and do not signal an exit from MacArthur Airport. Harris explained that the airline’s current network-wide schedule is released through early January 2027, which is why dates beyond that window are not currently available, adding that the carrier expects to release its next schedule extension soon.

Still, temporary or not, the pullback highlights the broader post-pandemic reality for regional airports, as ultra-low-cost carriers aggressively shift capacity, tweak networks, and chase yield where demand is strongest.

For Long Island travelers, the silver lining is that MacArthur will continue to host 16 nonstop routes across six carriers, including JetBlue, Breeze, Southwest, Avelo, and Cape Air. Key winter getaway hubs remain intact, with carriers continuing service to Florida markets such as Orlando, Tampa, Fort Myers, Palm Beach, Sarasota, Vero Beach, and Fort Lauderdale, along with East Coast links to Charlotte, Raleigh-Durham, Charleston, Norfolk, Richmond, Baltimore, and Boston.