TRENTON: Frontier Airlines extends lease with Trenton-Mercer Airport

Lease will be in effect from May 21, 2013, to May 20, 2018

    TRENTON — Only six months into its current lease agreement with Trenton-Mercer Airport and Mercer County, Frontier Airlines’ request to extend its lease to five years has been accepted by the Administration, according to Mercer County Executive Brian M. Hughes.
   Under the amended terms, Frontier’s lease will be in effect from May 21, 2013, to May 20, 2018. “This commitment by Frontier indicates its desire to continue to serve the robust Mercer County market,” added Mr. Hughes. Frontier’s rent is $18,558 per year. In addition, the airline collects a Passenger Facility Charge from each ticket sold and passes a portion of that to the airport. Currently that amount is approximately $40,000 per month.
   Denver-based Frontier (www.flyfrontier.com) first entered the Trenton-Mercer market in November 2012 with flights to Orlando, Florida, and quickly added routes to other Florida destinations of Fort Myers, Fort Lauderdale and Tampa; and New Orleans, which began Jan. 31. In April 2013, Frontier added nonstop service to Atlanta, Chicago (Midway), Columbus, Raleigh-Durham and Detroit from Trenton-Mercer Airport.
   Mr. Hughes believes the airline’s reported success at Trenton-Mercer Airport is because Frontier’s low-cost airfare to desirable destinations is the “right fit” for the region.
   Located in Ewing, Trenton-Mercer Airport is easy to reach from major highways.
   ”With rapidly increasing passenger numbers in this region, we know consumers are clamoring for an alternative to metropolitan Philadelphia International and Newark-Liberty airports,” Mr. Hughes added. “Trenton-Mercer Airport is in a great location, just off of I-95, that’s easily accessible to anyone traveling for business or pleasure.”
   Frontier will help Trenton-Mercer achieve its “one-stop” goal for the airport, meaning passengers could get from TTN to numerous U.S. and international destinations with one plane change, Hughes said.
   Mercer County has made significant investments to Trenton-Mercer Airport in the past several years. An airport safety project called Engineered Material Arresting System, or EMAS, is scheduled for September. This FAA-mandated project will require the airport to close its main runway during construction and temporarily suspend flights. Frontier Airlines worked with the County to determine the best time of year to complete the project, indicating fall is the airline’s slowest travel season.
   ”We are excited to complete the EMAS project and other necessary upgrades at the airport. I believe it is our continued investments at Trenton-Mercer that keep our airport competitive with other regional airports and attractive to potential carriers, and we believe Trenton-Mercer is vital to the continued economic growth in Mercer County and the surrounding region,” Mr. Hughes said.