Allegiant Air will be the second passenger airline at Trenton-Mercer Airport
EWING -- Another discount airline will soon be flying out of Trenton-Mercer Airport.
Officials announced Thursday that Allegiant Air is scheduled to begin service in November to three Florida cities, joining Frontier Airlines in offering low-cost flights to travelers in the region.
Allegiant, based in Las Vegas, plans to operate flights to Orlando's Sanford International Airport three times a week, along with twice-weekly flights to Punta Gorda and the St. Petersburg-Clearwater airport, just across the bay from Tampa.
"We're very excited to bring Allegiant's ultra-low cost flights to the Trenton area," said Lukas Johnson, vice president of network and pricing. "We know that local travelers will enjoy spending less to fly nonstop to three of Florida's best vacation destinations."
Special introductory fares starting as low as $39 one-way are being offered through July 30 at allegiantair.com.
Thursday's announcement comes a month after the airline said it would begin service from Newark Liberty International Airport to Cincinnati, Savannah, Ga., Asheville, N.C., and Knoxville, Tenn.
Mercer County Executive Brian Hughes said preliminary talks with Allegiant began about six months ago. He said the airline saw the same opportunity that Frontier did -- that Trenton-Mercer offers residents a convenient alternative to the hassles of the region's major airports.
"People can walk from their cars to the airport and check in very quickly," he said.
Hughes said that times of days when the airport had unused capacity will now be filled.
Frontier has been the airport's only commercial carrier since November 2012 when it began with twice-weekly flights to Orlando. It has since expanded to about a dozen destinations, with its newest nonstop service to Punta Gorda, Fla., starting Oct. 31.
Frontier adds new Florida destination
Frontier has found success where others could not. Boston-Maine Airways left in 2008, leaving Trenton-Mercer without a passenger airline until Streamline Airways launched service in 2011. A year later, it ceased operations when it became clear that its sole route to and from Bedford, Mass., was no longer making a profit.
Frontier, which has had more than one million travelers fly out of Trenton-Mercer since its launch, will now face what Hughes calls "healthy competition."
"It provides competition on fares and service," he said. "I think it'll make both airlines better."
Both Frontier and Allegiant offer base fares that are often lower than other carriers, but charge for extras like selecting seats in advance, carry-on bags and making a reservation over the phone.
Cristina Rojas may be reached at crojas@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @CristinaRojasTT. Find NJ.com on Facebook.