Frontier Airlines caused problems for passengers at San Jose
International Airport earlier this week as a widespread radio problem kept them from
operating scheduled flights to and from SJD.
According to a Frontier Airlines statement issued on
Tuesday, the airline has been unable to operate scheduled flights to and from
Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas since Monday.
The airline blamed the problem on "a vendor utilized by
Frontier for air-to-ground communication within Mexico." The problem
forced Frontier to cancel six flights to and from Cabo San Lucas and Puerto
Vallarta.
One Frontier customer said, "Frontier left us stranded
at the airport in Cabo with no explanation and stated it wasn't their fault. We
had to arrange for taxi and hotels and then found again today that the flight
was cancelled … Frontier customer service has not been helpful and sometimes
rude."
Michelle Ruble, a Denver resident, said she spent most of
the day Monday at the airport trying to get answers. She eventually found out
that she is confirmed on a flight back Wednesday.
"U.S. Airways is flying out. American is flying out.
Why can't Frontier communicate?" said Ruble. "It's really
frustrating."
“Other airlines may have different systems that have allowed
continuous communication with their airline control centers and
dispatchers," said Kevin Kulmann, a professor of Aviation and Aerospace at
MSU Denver. "I totally understand their [the passengers'] side, but what
they should be focused on and what’s driving this is safety. Frontier is doing
what the regulations say and what safety dictates."
Frontier has now confirmed that it is able to into SJD, as
service is being restored and the airline has set-up extra flights to get
passengers to and from Cabo and Puerto Vallarta.