Frontier Airlines today announced that Rocky the Owl, who captured hearts around the world when the diminutive bird was discovered in the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, will be featured on a new Frontier aircraft tail, joining more than 100 other animal tails in the Frontier fleet.
The A320neo aircraft is scheduled for delivery in 2021. All Frontier Airlines planes feature animals on their tails, many of which represent endangered species. From Chinook, the Gray Wolf and Wellington the Black-Footed Ferret to Cortez the Green Turtle and the iconic Grizwald the Bear, Frontier’s animal tails are popular with kids and adults, alike.
Rocky, the northern saw-whet owl, was discovered in the 75-foot-tall Norway spruce destined for Rockefeller Center after the tree was cut down on November 12. The bird was taken to the Ravensbeard Wildlife Center in Saugerties, New York, for rehabilitation and released back into the wild on Tuesday, November 24.
“We’re always looking for new ideas for our plane tails and when we heard the story of Rocky, we thought it entirely befitting that this intrepid little owl be honored on one of our tails,” said Tyri Squyres, vice president of marketing, Frontier Airlines. “Rocky will be remembered for years to come with her very special story enjoyed by thousands of travelers who fly on ‘Rocky the Owl.’”
Frontier Airlines is committed to “Low Fares Done Right.” Headquartered in Denver, Colorado, the company operates 100 A320 family aircraft and has the largest A320neo fleet in the U.S., delivering the highest level of noise reduction and fuel-efficiency, compared to previous models.
The use of these aircraft, Frontier’s seating configuration, weight-saving tactics and baggage process have all contributed to the airline’s average of 43 percent fuel savings compared to other U.S. airlines (fuel savings is based on Frontier Airlines’ 2019 fuel consumption per seat-mile compared to the weighted average of major U.S. airlines), which makes Frontier the most fuel-efficient U.S. airlines.