US low-fare carrier Frontier Airlines has celebrated the launch of its first flights from Trenton by revealing plans to establish a mini base in New Jersey’s state capital by positioning a single 138-seat Airbus A319 at Trenton Mercer Airport from early next year. The carrier will launch services to Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, New Orleans and Tampa from late January or early February, adding to its flights to Orlando, which commenced on November 16, 2012.
Frontier will be the only scheduled operator from the airport, which is the sixth busiest in New Jersey and which alongside serving central New Jersey, also has a catchment that stretches into southeast Pennsylvania. In the past both Delta Air Lines and US Airways have served the facility, formerly known as Mercer County Airport, but none of the four new Frontier destinations has previously been served.
“This is an exciting time for us at Frontier as we bring significantly more low-fare options to the convenient Trenton-Mercer Airport, providing a time and money saving option to customers throughout New Jersey and Pennsylvania,” said Daniel Shurz, Senior Vice President, Commercial, Frontier Airlines. “Customers who fly from Trenton can now skip the congested and expensive alternative hubs in the region and enjoy quick, convenient, low-fare travel to top leisure destinations in Florida and Louisiana.”
Frontier begins its expansion at Trenton Mercer Airport on January 31, 2013 when it introduces a three times weekly link to Tampa, with twice weekly flights to New Orleans following on February 1, 2013 and twice weekly and three times weekly schedules to Fort Myers and Fort Lauderdale following from February 2,2013. The carrier will also double its capacity on its link to Orlando from two to four weekly rotations from February 1, 2013.
According to Mercer County Executive Brian M Hughes, Frontier is the “right partner at the right time” for the region. “The Greater Mercer County region, with more than two million people in a 25-mile radius, is truly an untapped market, and we are pleased Frontier joins us in recognizing its value. We are confident the traveling public will embrace these new destinations, and as a result, the Mercer County economy will get an added boost,” he said.
In the last week Frontier has also inaugurated daily flights between Denver and Phoenix-Mesa to complement its existing links to Phoenix Sky Harbor International and has add flights between Orlando and Piedmont Triad International Airport in Greensboro, the first direct air services on this route. Frontier has also confirmed that it will suspend non-stop flights between Lehigh Valley International Airport, in Allentown and Orlando International Airport from April 7, 2013.
“Unfortunately, increasing fuel and other operating costs at Lehigh Valley International Airport have made it impossible to provide the low fares customers demand and, ultimately, we made the business decision to suspend our service,” said Greg Aretakis, Vice President, Network and Revenue, Frontier Airlines. The carrier launched services in May this year, ahead of AirTran Airways’ departure from the route, which it had served since June 2009.
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