No Sale for Frontier Airlines

People Express Inc. today announced it has abandoned attempts to sell financially troubled Frontier Airlines and will file bankruptcy papers later today in federal court.

In a statement, People Express said attempts to sell Frontier had failed. United Airlines had been the prime bidder but backed out when it could not reach agreement with the Air Line Pilots Assn., which represents United and Frontier pilots, on a schedule to raise the salaries of Frontier’s pilots to the level of United pilots. The company extended its search for a buyer but was unsuccessful.