A Frontier Airlines aircraft is seen approaching Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport near Alexandria, Virginia, on December 24, 2025.

On Thursday, Frontier Group Holdings, the parent company of Frontier Airlines, announced that its board of directors has appointed James G. Dempsey as the company’s new Chief Executive Officer.

The decision follows last month’s announcement that longtime CEO Barry Biffle would step down. At that time, Dempsey — a senior executive within the company — was named interim CEO before being formally selected for the permanent role.

Frontier also said it now expects its adjusted earnings per share for the fourth quarter to land at the upper end of its previously issued forecast, which ranged from 4 cents to 20 cents. The company cited strong revenue performance as the quarter progressed, despite challenges stemming from the recent government shutdown.

Shares of the Denver-based airline rose approximately 2.5% in premarket trading following the announcement.

Dempsey has served as Frontier’s president since October 2023, overseeing the airline’s commercial strategy, customer experience, and operational planning and research. He originally joined Frontier in 2014 as chief financial officer.

Before joining Frontier, Dempsey held senior leadership roles at Ryanair Holdings and worked in various management positions at PricewaterhouseCoopers.