Tail character
Baja the Whale shark
Frontier's tail art on this aircraft features Baja, a whale shark.
Confirmed Sep 28, 2026
Airframe story
N342FR is an Airbus A320-251N, serial 8537, built in 2018. It was registered to Wells Fargo Trust Co NA as trustee starting in 2018, and has been registered to Bank of Utah as trustee since 2020. Over the observed year it logged 683 flights and 1255.7 hours before settling into a long ground stay, now 162 days and ongoing, at Pinal Airpark (KMZJ), a facility associated with aircraft storage. Frontier Airlines, which operates many A320neo aircraft held through trustees like Bank of Utah and Wells Fargo, agreed in early 2026 to the early termination of leases on 24 in-service A320neo jets, with returns to lessor AerCap Holdings expected to be complete by the end of Q2 2026, amid a reported full-year 2025 net loss of $137 million and a broader fleet contraction from 183 to 165 Airbus single-aisle aircraft between March and June. Given this timing, it is plausible that N342FR's stay at KMZJ fits this wave of lease returns, though that link is not confirmed for this specific airframe. The storage chapter itself is best described as likely rather than certain, consistent with a trustee-held aircraft awaiting its next assignment.
Livery guess: Possibly Frontier Airlines. Sister ships with similar serial numbers (N339FR, N341FR, N343FR) are held by the same trustee structure and the broader A320neo fleet discussed in lease-return reporting is tied to Frontier Airlines, though this specific airframe's livery is not confirmed.
- Frontier Airlines - Strategic Analysis and Outlook Report 2026 (Updated)
- Frontier Airlines Reshapes Network with Fleet Reductions and Strategic Route Realignment - AeroXplorer.com
- Frontier Airlines Will Shrink Fleet by Dozens of Aircraft
- Frontier Airlines Slashes Fleet to Control Losses
- Inside one of the world's biggest aircraft 'graveyards' where planes go to die — and airlines can dissect them for parts - AOL
Current chapter · inferred · medium confidence
Parked at a storage facility
- Registered since 2020 to Bank of Utah, a trustee holding it for an owner or lessor
- On the ground 174 days at KMZJ since Apr 19
- Pinal Airpark at KMZJ: storage source
KMZJ: 174 days (Storage)
Sister ships
- N305FRU.S. registration ended, Aug 2026
- N7581Exported to Bermuda, May 2021
- N576AEExported to Bermuda, Apr 2021
- N339FR · Bank of Utah (trustee)693 flights since at least Oct 2025, last seen Apr 27
- N341FR · Wells Fargo Trust Na (trustee)1245 flights since at least Oct 2025, last seen Oct 9
- N343FR · Wells Fargo Trust Na (trustee)1319 flights since at least Oct 2025, last seen Oct 10
109 Airbus A320-251N are in the FAA records; 106 still registered; 107 flew in the last year. Most sit with Bank of Utah Trustee (61) and Wilmington Trust Co Trustee (18).
From the FAA registry and observed flights. Inferences are labeled; outside facts are cited.