Pack your bags and let’s get ready to fly!

Leaders from around the community gathered at the Trenton-Mercer Airport on Thursday, November 3rd to celebrate Frontier Airline’s 10th anniversary with the airport. For the last decade, Frontier has been serving the Mercer County area with affordable flights to a variety of destinations, including West Palm Beach, Atlanta, Orlando, and more. A partnership that started with two flights a week has grown exponentially in the last decade, now boasting over 6,000,000 passengers served. Proving to be an asset to the Greater Mercer County region and beyond, Frontier and the Trenton-Mercer Airport look forward to the next ten years serving our community.

Aaron T. Watson, the Deputy Administrator for the Mercer County Department of Transportation and Infrastructure, was the master of ceremonies for the celebration, introducing myriad community leaders who were fundamental in making this partnership possible. Leaders from all walks of life, from the airline industry to elected officials, all remarked on what a fantastic opportunity this was for the Mercer County region and beyond.

Reflecting on the partnership, Rep. Bonnie Watson-Coleman stated “this airport does not only represent convenience to people in the surrounding area, including those who don’t live in New Jersey, but it’s also an economic driver. It is also a point of destination. It has yielded a benefit to Ewing, to Mercer, and the State of New Jersey.” Continuing, Rep. Watson-Coleman noted, “I love this airport – we love this airport.”

Trenton Daily had the opportunity to speak with Nina Melker, Chair of the Mercer County Board of Commissioners. When asked about how it felt to see this partnership evolve, Melker stated “it’s so amazing. I’m so thrilled that we are celebrating 10 years with friends here. It’s really important to the Board of County Commissioners. Our constituents love being able to be so close to home and jump on a plane to go on vacation or business travel. And I just think we’re going to continue to expand this relationship by growing this airport because it is so important.”

Continuing to discuss what she foresaw for the future of the partnership, Melker stated “I really think that this is only going to grow, and the travel is going to increase. The convenience is only going to get better for our constituents. Honestly, it’s an economic engine. It brings in tourism and really helps fuel business in the area. It just does so much for our community, not only to help make it more convenient for travel but as an economic engine.”

Melker noted in her speech “over the last 10 years, we’ve had an amazing partner and friend here with Frontier. Their mission is to make the flying experience easy, affordable, and enjoyable, and that aligns perfectly with our vision here in Mercer County as we invest more into this airport for the benefit of our residents and our region’s economic growth. As someone who is a frequent flyer out of this airport using Frontier, I have always been very amazed and so happy with the service we get.”

Another leader in the region, Mayor of Ewing Bert Steinmann, stated “This has been an economic engine, not just for Ewing Township but for the region. We’re very proud and happy to do that – I am proud to have stood by Brian Hughes when he announced that we’re going to be doing something with this terminal, doing something with this airport, and we’ve been a cheerleader ever since.”

Trenton Daily was also privileged to speak to Brian Hughes, Mercer County’s County Executive. When discussing the importance of this partnership, Hughes noted “It’s great for Frontier to still be here. With COVID, a lot of airlines have gone away, but they have been able to stay here. The number of routes shrank a little bit, but you have to understand that – they’re coming back very strong.”

Continuing to discuss the partnership’s plans for the future, Hughes stated “we just got FAA approval to go to final design on a new terminal. The terminal will be very close to where we are and will offer several more amenities.” Hughes continued to remark on what an economic driver this has been for the region, highlighting a variety of new hotels and businesses in the area. In discussing what it means for Mercer County, Hughes noted “It makes quite a difference when you get people from all around the region to spend money in Mercer County, I think it’s very important.”

As Frontier Airlines and the Trenton-Mercer Airport advance their partnership, Mercer County and the surrounding communities will only continue to benefit from this alliance. With a new logo, a new terminal announced, and plenty of other excitement on the horizon, the Trenton-Mercer Airport is ready to soar. If you’re looking to book your next vacation, be sure to check out the Trenton-Mercer Airport for a close, convenient flying experience.