liberty805

Frontier will be once again discontinuing service to Wilmington Delaware. The last flight will be on June 6, 2022. This news surely comes as no surprise to anyone.

https://www.delawareonline.com/story...ts/9744070002/

sunpass

Agreed. Wilmington (ILG) will never be able to have a sustainable relationship with a passenger airline. It is in the catchment areas for both PHL and BWI.

However, I read in a seperate article that the Delaware River Bay Authority, which operates ILG, is prepared to lobby Frontier to return with service there for a third time.

winstoda

DRBA is a big part of the problem, they're in no way competent to run a commercial airport. ILG has it's geographical challenges but as long as it's managed by the DRBA, Delaware will remain the only state you can't fly to commercially.

sunpass

What has DRBA done in the way of mismanaging the New Castle County Airport in your assessment?

sunpass

Wilmington News-Journal
May 25, 2022
https://www.delawareonline.com/story...re/9765059002/


What's next for the airport


Mike Boyd of Boyd Group International, an aviation forecasting and consulting firm, believes the New Castle Airport could be a match for a smaller airline such as Breeze. The new business is lining up nonstop flights from smaller "peripheral" airports to travel destinations like Las Vegas using a new airliner called the Airbus A220, which has wider seats than 737s.

"It would just be to certain destinations," Boyd said. "Wilmington is never going to be the dominant commercial airport for Delaware."

Alan Levin, who led the state's economic development office under Gov. Jack Markell and is the former CEO of the Happy Harry's drugstore chain, said when Frontier returned, he thought they'd leave quickly again.

"It's just not a passenger-based airport," he said. "It's just not going to work."

Levin in 2020 led a task force to evaluate options for New Castle County as its 30-year lease agreement with DRBA is due to expire in 2025. The county elected not to renew the lease and will instead solicit offers from other airport operators as it seeks more input in the airport's operations.

The airport is the county's largest piece of land and is seen as a significant economic driver.

New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer declined to comment. New Castle County Economic Development Director Charuni Patibanda did not respond to a request for comment.

DRBA officials objected to being called a potential bidder and won't bid to operate a facility they are already operating. Williams said they are interested in the airport's future and "ready to continue to do what we're doing" but "welcome the county's examination of other options to do exactly what we're doing today."

With the airport in poor condition and financial health in 1995, the county gave control of the airport to DRBA, which also operates the Delaware Memorial Bridge and the Cape May-Lewes Ferry. DRBA assumed its debt while operating on a $1 per year lease due to expire in June 2025.

beyondhere

ILG is too close to PHL which is already south of Center City and most of the PHL population. Given ILG's geography of being an additional distance south, ILG can't pick up much from anywhere south of PHL.

If the Frontier/Spirit merger goes through, I hope Frontier keeps ACY at what Spirit offers there. Spirit has kept a good level of service there and there is some consistent demand there. I don't think JetBlue, with its higher costs and interest to cater to business passengers, will have as much interest or commitment to keep service.

Perhaps the DRBA could market the Cape May Lewes ferry to ACY with a bus that links ACY to the ferry and Southern DE tourism.