(Updates with the White House response in the third paragraph.)

Frontier (ULCC) and certain other budget airlines are seeking $2.5 billion in government help in exchange for warrants that could convert into equity interest in those companies, The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday, citing people familiar with the matter.

The companies came up with that tally by calculating how much more they expect to spend on jet fuel in 2026 versus their previous projections, as they look to offset impact of high fuel prices triggered by the Middle East conflict, some of the sources told the publication.

The White House said in an email to MT Newswires that it was aware of the airlines' outreach. "The administration continues to monitor the health of the US aviation industry for passengers and airline employees," spokesman Kush Desai said. "Unless an announcement is officially made by the administration, however, any discussion about federal policymaking should be regarded as baseless speculation."

Frontier didn't respond to MT Newswires' request for comment.

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