Frontier Airlines (Nasdaq: FRNT ) today named William F. McKinney as vice president, flight operations, effective April 23. In his new position, McKinney, 61, will oversee the airline`s flight operations, including pilot training, flight operation safety, operations standardization, dispatch and crew scheduling. He will also oversee the airline`s pilot base, which is headed by Frontier Chief Pilot Hank Appleby and includes approximately 320 pilots, and will report directly to Frontier President Sam Addoms. McKinney replaces Frontier Founder and Executive Vice President, Operations Jim Wyche, who plans to retire later this year.

“We are extremely pleased that Bill will join the Frontier team, bringing a vast amount of flight operations and aviation experience and knowledge with him,” said Addoms. “The next few years mark an important stage in Frontier`s growth as we begin to transition to an all-Airbus fleet. Bill`s extensive industry experience and outstanding leadership qualities will help ensure this transition is successful. In addition and on behalf of Frontier`s 2,400 employees, I offer my personal gratitude and appreciation to Jim Wyche, who played a key role in Frontier`s start-up and held a variety of leadership positions during our critical formative years. We owe a great deal of our success to Jim, and we wish him all the best as he retires from a 42-year airline career.”

McKinney, a 34-year commercial airline veteran, most recently served as vice president, operations for Kansas City-based Vanguard Airlines, overseeing approximately 400 employees in its flight operations, inflight services, training, systems operations control, dispatch and crew scheduling units. Prior to that, McKinney spent 29 years with Trans World Airlines and served in a variety of capacities, including general manager of flying/chief pilot; manager of pilots; director, flight safety and engineering; and flight manager for the airline`s flight engineer position on the Boeing 727, Boeing 707 and Lockheed L-1011 fleet types. McKinney has logged an excess of 12,000 flight hours and is type rated to fly the following aircraft: McDonnell Douglas DC9; Boeing 727, 707, 767, 757 and 737; and Lockheed L-1011. McKinney is a former United States Air Force pilot instructor, and holds a bachelor of science in industrial engineering from the University of Akron, Ohio. He resides in Prairie Village, Kan., and plans to relocate to Denver.

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