Delaware Becomes The Only State Without Commercial Air Travel After Frontier Airlines Flies Away

(Dendroica cerulea)

While flying is often the easiest and quickest way for travelers to get from one place to another, the nearly one million residents in Delaware will have to find a different mode of transportation in their home state — unless they want to fly privately. That’s because the state’s lone commercial airline servicer quietly exited the market last week.

Forbes reports that Frontier Airlines flew relatively under the radar last week when it discreetly pulled the plug on its service from Wilmington’s New Castle Airport, citing a lack of profit.

The company – which began service at the airport just two years ago – initially announced in April that it would discontinue flights to and from the airport on a seasonal basis.

The Denver-based airline’s move means that Delaware is the only state in the U.S. that doesn’t have direct commercial airline service.

A number of airlines – including United, Delta and U.S. Airways – have attempted to provide flights at the airport since the 1960s, but all eventually dropped their service.

According to Forbes, New Castle Airport won’t be sitting vacant amidst Frontier’s departure. The airport sees a healthy dose of private air travel.

Of course, residents of Delaware aren’t exactly being shut out of air travel. The city of Wilmington is less than 70 miles away from two major airports: Philadelphia Intentional Airport (28 miles) and Baltimore-Washington International Airport (65 miles).

Additionally, the city is teeming with Amtrak options, as it serves as a thoroughfare between Washington D.C. and New York and other places, Forbes reports.

Delaware, Key To Corporations, Is Now The Only U.S. State Without Air Service [Forbes]