Frontier Leaves Wilmington Airport for a Second Time
Frontier Airlines' exit will make Delaware the only state without commercial airline service
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Frontier Airlines is ending its service to and from the New Castle Airport, Delaware River and Bay Authority spokesperson Jim Salmon told Delaware Online/The News Journal Friday.
After Frontier completes its final flight on June 6, Delaware will once again be the only state without commercial airline service.
Salmon in a statement said DRBA, which operates the airport, is "disappointed" with Frontier's decision, but continues to believe commercial air service "can and will succeed" at the airport.
Frontier Airlines did not return multiple requests for comment.
This is the second time Frontier has left Delaware. After two years of service, Frontier quietly ended its commercial flights from the New Castle Airport in 2015. The move left some customers with tickets to flights that no longer existed.
In January 2020, Frontier announced plans to return to Delaware with flights from the New Castle Airport to Orlando scheduled to begin the following May.
At the time, Frontier executive Daniel Shurz said, "I'm telling you we're here to stay."
Shurz pitched Frontier as a larger, more efficient business in 2020 with a foothold next door in Philadelphia to build from. It would start small and add more flights as the business developed as opposed to offering a large number of east-to-west trips from the beginning.
But Shurz also warned, "if we don't see the right results relatively quickly, we will absolutely pull service."
Those May flights never took off as the COVID-19 pandemic grounded the entire airline industry. Frontier postponed the start of their Delaware service multiple times during the pandemic, eventually starting flights in February 2021.
By that time, DRBA completed about $2 million worth of renovations to the airport's screening areas and passenger terminal to prepare for Frontier's commercial service.
Stephen Williams, DRBA's airports director, said at the time Frontier's return was a "commitment to Delaware and a testament to the market sustainability of passenger demand" at the New Castle Airport.
At first, Frontier offered flights to Orlando on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. It eventually rolled the Orlando flights back to Mondays and Fridays. It never added flights to other destinations.
In February, Frontier announced a $3 billion merger deal with its low-budget rival Spirit Airlines. In the companies' announcement, they said they expected all employees to remain in place and to add 10,000 jobs by 2026.
"We are hopeful that as it rationalizes current and future resources in anticipation of its proposed merger, the airline will choose to strategically restore service in Delaware," said Salmon, the DRBA spokesperson.
The loss of Frontier will likely impact the airport's funding. In November, DRBA announced the New Castle Airport surpassed 10,000 boardings for the year which vaulted them to a higher status with the Federal Aviation Administration.
The change in designation from a "general aviation reliever airport" to a "primary commercial service airport" increased the airport's annual federal allotment from $150,000 to at least $1 million. The more riders the airport an has the more it receives from the FAA. Frontier also paid fees to use the airport.
July and August were the most popular months for travel from the New Castle Airport last year.
The remaining Frontier flights start at $48.
Salmon said securing new commercial service will "remain one of the airport's key goals."
"The airport’s excellent location along the busy I-95 corridor, along with the lowest cost operating environment of any airport in the U.S., offers customers the opportunity to forego the stress and expense of a big city airport," Salmon said.
Well, this didn't last long! PHL is just too close. It was already evident to me that this wasn't successful when they cut it down to 2x a week and even that wasn't profitable. I also noticed that Frontier flights out of ILG were more expensive than American Airlines flights out of PHL, and that's an easy choice right there for which airline I'd rather fly. I think Frontier/Wilmington should just give up now with trying to get service at ILG.
Well, this didn't last long! PHL is just too close. It was already evident to me that this wasn't successful when they cut it down to 2x a week and even that wasn't profitable. I also noticed that Frontier flights out of ILG were more expensive than American Airlines flights out of PHL, and that's an easy choice right there for which airline I'd rather fly. I think Frontier/Wilmington should just give up now with trying to get service at ILG.
I can see AA starting bus service to ILG like how they have bus services for Allentown, AC, and Lancaster. Maybe Frontier buses next
Looking down the street towards the Riverfront area:
Downtown - 900 block Market Street - apt conversion:
Lower Market Street - Lincoln Square - 300 block - apt conversion
Side/back of the building(s) - fantastic architecture on Market Street, still underappreciated:
Some history for ya:
-200 block of Market Street, looks like BPG is putting the finishing touches on this building next to The Cooper:
Just felt like sharing -
Bardea Steak on Market Street - almost open!
Also, not sure if it was reported here but Incyte will be building yet another building to their HQs, back behind the new lab and office building already completed.
Looking good Wilmington:
Finally, out to the North Wilmington suburbs, the Avenue North complex is well underway on Concord Pike/202 - Fairfax:
any excuse to get the old Rollins Building into a shot!
Wilmington is looking incredible! Glad to see it's resurgence.
I wouldn't worry about air traffic in and out of Delaware. PHL is really close on the north end of the state, and BWI is really close on the south end of the state. That's poaching all of the air traffic demand right there. If there's demand in the future for air traffic out of New Castle Airport, then it will come back.
Main Line Health plans a small hotel plus condos and more for the St. Charles Borromeo Seminary site
An architectural rendering of plans for St. Charles Borromeo Seminary campus shows the proposed promenade through the center of the property.
Main Line Health
Over the next decade or more, Main Line Health is proposing to build an ambitious mix of medical offices, senior housing, apartments, condos, and retail as well as a small hotel on the 73-acre St. Charles Borromeo Seminary campus in Wynnewood, health system officials said Monday.
[...]
But residents should not expect a quick transformation of the historic site at the intersection of City and Lancaster Avenues. The seminary, which is part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia, this year enrolled 149 students, and will keep operating there until the spring of 2024. Officials said they are working with a 10- to 12-year timeline for the project.
- 600,000sqft of medical office buildings
- 205 senior living units
- 175-190 condos in the main college building
- boutique hotel in center of campus
- 600 apartment units along Lancaster Avenue
^^Seems like a very promising development that should continue to strengthen the City Avenue corridor. I've long said this stretch could be so much more built up and walkable than it is.
I will say though.... not turning the main seminary building into a luxury hotel is a HUGE missed opportunity. This building is stunning and could be a really beautiful destination hotel and retreat. This would also help build up Philadelphia's desirability for tournaments amongst the golf crowd at a newly rehabbed Cobbs Creek Country Club.
New bus service will connect Philadelphia, KoP to Jersey Shore towns
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A new bus route will link Philadelphia and King of Prussia with the Jersey Shore, connecting local travelers to summer hotspots including Margate, Ocean City, Sea Isle City and Wildwood. Absecon and Ventnor are also included.
The service, offered by OurBus, will launch this Thursday.
The route will begin at the King of Prussia Park and Ride before stopping at Philadelphia International Airport, followed by NRG Station in South Philadelphia near the Sports Complex. The bus will then stop at the Frank Sinatra Service Center in Galloway where Absecon, Ventnor and Margate passengers will switch to a luxury SUV or sprinter van.
Passengers headed to Sea Isle City, Ocean City and Wildwood will then take a minibus shuttle to those towns. Sea Isle City visitors will be dropped off at Ocean View Service Area on the Garden State Parkway just outside of the Shore town.
Other transportation options exist for Philadelphia-area residents to get to Jersey Shore towns.
NJ Transit offers bus routes 313 and 315, which have stops in Wildwood and Cape May, for example. The two routes recently halted service from the Greyhound Bus Terminal on 10th and Filbert Streets, and instead now start at the Walter Rand Transportation Center in Camden. Starting on June 25, NJ Transit will also offer route 316, which departs from 30th Street Station and provides service between the city, Wildwood and Cape May.
NJ Transit's Atlantic City Line out of Center City ends in Atlantic City for $10.75. Greyhound also offers a route from Philadelphia to Atlantic City for varying costs. Various NJ Transit bus routes can then connect riders from Atlantic City to towns along the coast. OurBus also has a service to Atlantic City.
The stops have me a little perplexed on this one. The airport and stadiums do not seem like they will draw a ton of people...versus a Megabus type station around 30th St. As well as the GSP rest stop Sea Isle stop
Topgolf readies to open Northeast Philadelphia location, turns sights to King of Prussia
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The first Topgolf venue in the city is set to open Friday on Roosevelt Boulevard in Northeast Philadelphia.
Topgolf locations feature an interactive driving range with climate-controlled bays, a full food and bar menu, live music and event space. In Philadelphia, the three-level venue has 102 hitting bays that can be reserved up to seven days in advance or accessible via walk-in. It sits on 27 acres of land at the former site of a Nabisco and Mondelēz International factory at 12000 Roosevelt Blvd.
This is the second Topgolf location in Pennsylvania, with the other located in Pittsburgh. There are over 70 locations across the country, including one in Mount Laurel, New Jersey.
The Dallas golf and entertainment company, acquired by Callaway Co. (NYSE: ELY) last March, is also planning a location in King of Prussia. Construction on the 48.5-acre project at 588 N. Gulph Road is set to begin in the first week of June, with an anticipated opening in summer 2023, according to a Topgolf spokesman.
Pennsylvania Biotech Center's economic impact grows to $7B as it expands in Bucks County, report finds
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The Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center of Bucks County and its affiliated organizations have generated an economic impact of $7.3 billion for the state during the past six years, according to a new study.
The analysis, conducted by KLIOS Consulting economist Richard M. Stein, found that between the beginning of 2016 and the end of 2021, the biotech center produced a $2.3 billion direct impact tied to spending and economic activity at the center, and another $3.5 billion in indirect spending elsewhere in Pennsylvania tied to initial economic activity at the center. The remaining $1.5 billion represents the center's "induced impact," which is economic benefit related to additional household spending created from biotech center activities and related indirect economic activity.
The study — commissioned by the Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, which manages the biotech center — also found the biotech center during the same six-year period was responsible for 500 jobs directly associated with the Doylestown facility and 635 indirect jobs tied to center spending and output.
More than 80 companies, mostly small to mid-size science, research and pharmaceutical companies, are members of the biotech center. Nearly 50 of those have operations at the site.
Among the center's graduates are Novira, PMV Pharmaceuticals, Antengene, Century Therapeutics (NASDAQ: IPSC) and Arbutus Biopharma (NASDAQ: ABUS). The larger companies and organizations now at the center include IGM Biosciences, Flowmetric, Evrys Bio, the Fox Chase Chemical Diversity Center and the Blumberg Institute.
The Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center late last year completed a $20M expansion project, adding a new two-story, 37,500-square-foot structure that connects with its three existing buildings. A ribbon cutting for the new building — which features 29 laboratories, 40 offices and conference rooms, and an event space that seats more than 100 people — was held Friday. The official opening was delayed by Covid-19 safety concerns.
The expansion project is expected to create 100 new jobs at the site over time.
Developer sells 282-acre South Jersey site planned for massive industrial complex
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An affiliate of East Norriton-based D2 Organization has sold a 282-acre site situated at the base of the Delaware Memorial Bridge in South Jersey which is expected to house roughly 1.7 million square feet of industrial space.
Located at 373 N. Broadway in Pennsville, the property will be developed into a logistics park that will include two buildings: one that spans over 1.2 million square feet and another at 512,442 square feet.
^^It is actually nice to see some development in Narberth. For a while it felt like a town stuck in time. Now, it's becoming more hip and gaining some nice new restaurants, cafes and boutiques.
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