The PHL solution: Fly Jersey
The region needs a second airport, and it has one. Meet Atlantic City International.
Next time you fight through the crowded terminals at Philadelphia International Airport, or sit belted in your seat while a queue of planes waits to get off the ground, the need for a second major airport in the region might seem self-evident.
Such relief is neither far-fetched nor far away.
Atlantic City International Airport became the region's second international airport when service to Canada launched last month. A new $25 million federal inspection station will allow it to provide immigration, agriculture, safety, and security services for intercontinental flights.
Unlike surrounding airports, which are facing air capacity constraints, Atlantic City has capacity for four times as many business and leisure passengers as it is handling today. The airport's site is big enough to contain Philadelphia International, Newark's Liberty International, and 60 percent of LaGuardia. In fact, it's under contract with NASA as an alternative landing site for the space shuttle.
Atlantic City International Airport is poised to make a significant impact on the region's air travel patterns in a number of ways:
Better service: If just 50,000 of Philadelphia's flights were redirected to Atlantic City every year, the former's delays would be slashed from an average of 23 minutes to nine, according to a recent series of studies conducted by Rowan University.
New airlines, routes, and flights: For example, WestJet, Canada's second-largest airline, has launched round-trip, direct service to Toronto, with connections throughout Canada. AirTran Airways has added direct service to its Atlanta hub, allowing national connections.
Facilities investment: The airport recently completed a $31.6 million renovation and improvement program, and a six-story, 1,370-space parking garage. Future projects include a $26 million power plant to support the aviation complex and a $7.8 million apron expansion paving the way for additional gates and a terminal expansion. These projects are being financed by the South Jersey Transportation Authority, allowing the airlines to contain costs.
This growth has the support of Gov. Corzine and the commissioners of the South Jersey Transportation Authority, the agency that owns and operates the airport. It's also supported in Pennsylvania as a means of alleviating congestion at Philadelphia International and better serving the region. Earlier this year, Reps. Joe Sestak of Pennsylvania and Rob Andrews of New Jersey said that an expanded Atlantic City International is the perfect solution to the limited room for growth at Philadelphia International.
Atlantic City International recently launched an advertising campaign communicating the benefits of traveling through it, including low fares, low-cost parking, and shorter waits - an average of 11 minutes from arrival to gate.
Our mission is to persuade travelers to consider Atlantic City International and change their travel habits. We're already finding that travelers are coming from as far out as suburban Philadelphia and northern New Jersey. They're discovering that the region can support a second international airport.