Frontier Airlines launches new Washington D.C-St. Augustine route

Leading low-cost carrier Frontier Airlines recently began operations out of the First Coast. The maiden flight landed at the Northeast Florida Regional Airport on September 8, 2014 and was welcomed with the customary firefighter’s water salute. The new flight between St. Augustine and Washington D.C. is being considered as a significant move for commercial aviation service for St. Johns County.

The new service and cheap airfares being provided by Frontier Airlines is being widely appreciated by those residing in St. Augustine and its suburbs. The recently-introduced flight has particularly com as a boon for those residing in southern Georgia as they are now able to buy cheap tickets from St. Augustine, bypassing Jacksonville International Airport, to travel to Washington Dulles International Airport.
 
Frontier Airlines in a statement said that this is its second venture in St. Augustine. Earlier, the airline launched its flights between St. Augustine and Trenton in May 2014. The airline said that the St.Augustine-Trenton route has been doing remarkably well ever since the new service was launched.

Ed Wuellner, St. Augustine Airport Executive Director, said that from day one itself the flights have been 94 percent full on an average. He said that the Northeast Florida Regional Airport has received its first commercial airline service since 2009 with the launch of flights by Frontier Airlines.

Wuellner said that even though St. Augustine airport was small, it can effective sustain the commercial flights to/from here. The airport handled more commercial flights in 2007 through 2009 than what it is handling now. He said that Frontier Airlines stands to gain immensely by starting flight services from here as the passenger demand is excellent.

According to Wuellner, the launch of new service on St. Augustine-Washington D.C. route is going to augur well and positively impact the tourism industry, which is among leading industries in St. Johns County.

A travel expert remarked that more flights to St. Augustine might well be in the offing, particularly from the northeast as it is a big fly-in area for people from Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York and Boston. These areas are big markets for St. Augustine thus giving a potential boost to the tourism industry.