The first commercial flights from Delaware in five years will take off starting July 1st. Frontier Airlines formally announced service from New Castle Airport to Chicago, Houston, Denver, Orlando and Tampa Tuesday.
[audio:http://www.wdde.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/shurz.mp3|titles= Listen to portions of WDDE interview with Frontier Airlines V.P. Daniel Shurz.]
Other carriers have offered flights from New Castle, but failed to sustain the service. Frontier Vice President Daniel Shurz says the Denver based airline’s combination of low fares and small airport convenience set its efforts apart from previous offerings - and what's available in the Northeast today.
"If all people know is flying from Philadelphia, then they don’t realize how much easier travel can be,” said Shurz. "We don't operate domestically from Philadelphia International Airport and we don't operate from Baltimore. We're not offering something here that competes with service we offer anywhere else. We'll be able to make that comparison with other airports without shooting ourselves in the foot. I also think the airline industry has consolidated and as that's happened fare in general have risen in the Northeast. There aren't a lot of truly low fare options in the region."
Shurz expects to be able to keep fares low because it is much cheaper for Frontier to operate in New Castle and other small airports such as Trenton. When Frontier operated in Philadelphia, he says the cost per passenger for the airline was 12 dollars. At New Castle, it will be less than five dollars per passenger.
Shurz also notes Frontier’s destinations are more desirable than those offered previously in Delaware.
"I think that's probably the biggest difference between us and other recent service offered in Wilmington. We're flying to place like Chicago and Denver and Orlando which are big destinations," said Shurz."Flying where people want to go is the biggest thing to this being successful."
DEDO director Alan Levin agrees, and adds those destinations open up additional convention and business opportunities for the state.
[audio:http://www.wdde.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/williams.mp3|titles= Listen to WDDE interview with DRBA Director of Airports Steve Williams.]
"It will bring conventions here. Companies that would say you don’t have service here – well, now people from Chicago can come here, Fort Worth, Denver, and the like - they can come here and meet here,” said Levin. "We're not a major conventions city, but we are a mid level convention city and this is what we will be able to serve now."
Gov Jack Markell also sees the daily bustle of passengers in and out of the airport helping fuel the local economy surrounding the airport.
"It means local restaurants, hotels and motels, gas stations and local convenience stories will be doing more business," said Markell.
Additionally, The Delaware River and Bay Authority, which operates the airport, expects at least 50 jobs to be created at the facility with Frontier’s arrival.
"Just in the ground handling alone we're forecasting 40 new jobs here. The Transportation Security Administration will probably bring in 10-15 people," said DRBA Director of Airports Steve Williams. "The airline itself will be basing an airplane here, that means crews that need hotels. [There will be a need] for a range of things, ground transportation, taxi cabs and shuttles. We'll see all of that grow with this new service."
[caption id="attachment_27314" align="alignright" width="300" caption="DRBA plans to invest in upgrades to parking at New Castle Airport to accommodate additional customers expected for Frontier Airlines flights."]
Williams adds DRBA will do its part to make the venture work by investing money immediately to upgrade terminal amenities, specifically parking.
"That's one of the key customer service features of any airport is hassle free auto parking. When you get to the airport, you want to be able to find a spot. You want to be able to park. You want to be able to get to your flight," said Williams. "It's great to offer the low fares, but you want the airport experience to be good as well. So the improvements we're going to make are where we absolutely need them and that's in auto parking particularly."
Frontier’s New Castle schedule will consist of four flights a week to Denver, three a week to Chicago and Houston, and two weekly flights to both Orlando and Tampa. If all goes well, there could be more in the future. Monday, Frontier announced an expansion of its service out of Trenton, New Jersey -which started in November - from five to 10 routes. Shurz wouldn't rule out that happening in Delaware down the line.
"We believe there is the potential to expand here to further destinations But we're very much believers in going slowly. So, we'll put this first plane in and see how the market reacts. Assuming we do well we would certainly hope to be able to add more service. Customers come out and fly the flights and we can make money, we'll absolutely look at expanding," said Shurz.
Frontier is offering low introductory rates for flight out of Wilmington through April 20th at their website only. Those rates run from as low as $49 dollars each way for flights to Tampa up to $99 dollars each way for flights to Denver. There will be flights to Chicago-Midway and Houston for as low as $69 each way and $59 dollars each way to Orlando. Gov. Markell and Congressman John Carney each joked they would be the first to lo on for those prices. That's exactly what Shurz wants to hear.
"The big thing is get the awareness level up quickly, get people to try it because the best advertising we're going to have is from customers who fly flights out of an airport like Wilmington and tell their friends how much better it was," said Shurz.