Republic Airways, which recently purchased Frontier Airlines, plans to shut down regional carrier Lynx Aviation later this year. Lynx employees have been told that Republic aims to replace Lynx turboprop planes at Denver International Airport with small jets that will be flown by Republic pilots, reports The Denver Post. Of Lynx's 400 employees, 175 in all will be furloughed starting in April. The remaining employees will be let go in September, but company spokesman Peter Kowalchuk says those employees will be given priority hiring for any positions within the Republic network. Lynx launched in December 2007 as a subsidiary of Frontier before Frontier became a subsidiary of Republic in an acquisition that rescued Frontier from bankruptcy last year. "Lynx" refers to one of the tail animals---"Larry the Lynx"---and the carrier connects smaller airports with the main Denver hub. Republic says it will maintain most of Lynx's current routes but will end service between Denver and Fargo, North Dakota, and Tulsa, Oklahoma, notes the Denver Business Journal.