Delaware will soon become the only state in the US without any commercial airline service.
On Friday, a Frontier Airlines spokesperson confirmed to Insider it would be ending flights between Orlando, Florida, and New Castle Airport near Wilmington, Delaware, saying "sufficient demand did not materialize to support the service." The airline will operate its last flight on June 6.
The exit would leave Delaware as the only state without any air link to the rest of the US, forcing locals to drive to nearby airports like Philadelphia or Baltimore.
Frontier started flying between Orlando and New Castle Airport in February 2021 after postponing the original launch from May 2020 due to the pandemic, reported The Points Guy. The airline also previously flew between Delaware and the Florida cities of Tampa and Orlando but ended service in 2015 after just two years.
Delaware River and Bay Authority spokesperson Jim Salmon told The Delaware News Journal in a statement that he is "disappointed" in Frontier's decision to leave New Castle, but was confident that the airport's commercial service "can and will succeed." DRBA had recently completed about $2 million worth of renovations to accommodate Frontier by its return in 2021.
Despite the exit, Frontier told Insider that New Castle may not be off its route map for good, saying "we are continually evaluating our routes and ILG will certainly remain in the consideration set for potential service in the future."
While Frontier is leaving, New Castle will continue to operate charter and general aviation flights.
