Frontier Airlines flight lands at New Castle Airport, marking return of commercial service to Delaware

The first commercial flight to New Castle Airport in almost six years landed Thursday afternoon, marking the return of Frontier Airlines to the First State after multiple pandemic-related delays.

The flight from Orlando, Florida, landed around 12:30 p.m., taking passengers from an 80-degree day in Florida to temperatures near freezing near New Castle, where it snowed earlier in the day.

Delaware has been the only state without commercial airline service since Frontier left in June 2015. The company announced last January that it would return to Delaware in May 2020, now as a bigger airline with lower operating costs and demonstrated business in Philadelphia, but the pandemic delayed the return several times.

PREVIOUS REPORTING: Frontier Airlines returns to Delaware with 3 flights per week

Frontier is starting small with just three flights each week to and from Orlando, the company's most popular destination the last time it operated in Delaware. The flights, with one-way prices as low as $19 aboard a 180-seat Airbus A320, are scheduled for Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.

The Delaware River and Bay Authority, which runs the Delaware Memorial Bridge and leases the New Castle Airport from the county, invested about $2 million in the airport renovations, before Frontier's arrival, according to a press release.

The airport is referred to by airlines as the Wilmington airport. Its three-letter geocode is "ILG."

What passengers need to know

Transportation Security Administration officers will begin screening passengers and their baggage an hour before each departure and will require individuals to wear a mask in the airport and on the flight.

Passengers will be screened for COVID-19, with a temperature check and questions about potential symptoms and exposure to the coronavirus.

Parking at the New Castle Airport will cost $5 per day starting after the first hour. Those flying in also have options for car rentals including an Avis station inside the terminal. 

Reporter John Cassidy contributed.

Contact Brandon Holveck at bholveck@delawareonline.com. Follow him on Twitter @holveck_brandon.