Trenton Times
April 11, 2002

Shuttle America awaits clearance to ascend
Plan to expand Trenton service stalled

By Tony Hagen, Staff Writer

EWING -- Hopes for expanded airline service at Trenton Mercer Airport are experiencing a bumpy ride because of the hesitancy of airlines to invest in the local market.

Shuttle America -- the sole airline at Trenton Mercer -- flies a Ewing-to-Boston route on consignment for national carrier US Airways Express.

But while the airline is expanding at other locations, it is having a hard time convincing US Airways that flights to new destinations out of Trenton Mercer Airport are a good investment.

In addition, Shuttle America has a new fleet of smaller planes -- 33-seat Saab turboprops instead of the 50-seaters it once flew. The smaller Saabs are more economical for smaller passenger loads these days.

Less flying since Sept. 11 has contributed to airlines' fears of flying from unproven markets, such as Ternton Mercer Airport, says Mark Cestari, vice president and spokesman for Shutle America.

"The major airlines are all continuing to lose a considerable amount of money, and so their inclination is to stay with the tried and true rather than to venture into uncharted territory, and unfortunately Trenton is viewed as untried territory," he said.

That is a blow to Mercer County officials, who have dreamed of vastly expanded service at the airport supported by what they believe are favorable demographics that suggest a huge potential market exists for travel to and from the Ewing facility.

Still, county administrators remain upbeat about the potential for growth at Trenton Mercer. "The administration has not lost their optimism for this airport," said Robin Williams, a spokeswoman for Mercer County Executive Robert D. Prunetti.

Justin Edwards, the airport manager, says the county has talked with Shuttle America about expanding service "but they're still trying to backfill other flights in other areas. I do believe that in the coming months we will see more flights" from Mercer, he said.

Over the long term -- and if it had its druthers -- Shuttle America would add more flights to its roster at Trenton Mercer Airport, such as Greensboro, N.C. and Buffalo, N.Y., Cestari says.

But that's not in the cards now.

The airline once flew those routes before it filed for bankruptcy protection last year and was forced to trim back to the single, profitable Ewing-to-Boston run.

"We still believe we would like to be very aggressive in the Trenton market," Cestari said. He said adding more routes from Ewing could enhance the airport's appeal as a departure point.

These days US Airways is calling the shots, and that means Trenton Mercer doesn't get expanded service unless US Airways says so. And that airline has to avoid infringing on its other markets at major regional hubs, such as Philadelphia International Airport.

"That's the thing," Cestari said. "Because we are an independent company, we try to work in total lockstep with them, and sometimes our objectives are not totally in sync."

As an illustration of the pressure on the two airlines, US Airways has asked that Shuttle America refer to its sole run out of Ewing as "Trenton to Bedford, Massachusetts," rather than "Trenton to Boston." The purpose is to avoid confusion with US Airways' separate service out of Boston's Logan International Airport.

Shuttle America has been comfortable with that compromise. Right now things are going swimmingly for the airline as it flies under US Airways' wing, and there is no likelihood of a rebellion. They've gone from "not knowing what the future looks like to using somebody else's playbook," notes airline analyst Robert Mann of New York.

"I think you can expect US Airways is basically driving and Shuttle America is doing the flying," Mann said.

Filling in wherever US Airways wants, Shuttle America has broadened its service in other markets by adding numerous routes in recent months.

Besides a strong focus on the Boston-area market, Shuttle America now flies to cities in Kentucky, Indiana, Washington, D.C., Virginia, New York, Maryland, Ohio and Pennsyvania.

Its overall ridership has soared from 5,700 in December to mlore than 30,000 in March, Cestari says.

From Trenton Mercer, the airline is operating seven daily flights to Massachusetts that collectively amount to Shuttle America's most profittable route, Cestari said.

He says more routes would have an exponential effect on ticket sales but US Airways is putting its money on what it considers its most bankable routes elsewhere in the Northeast. And Trenton Mercer remains an airport without a direct connection to one of US Airways' regional hubs, which is a disadvantage to travelers.

Tickets bought for rides aboard Shuttle America from Trenton Mercer totaled 1,718 in December and reached 2,032 in March, an increas of 18 percnet, according to statistics maintained by Mercer County officials.

That is still down significantly from pre-Sept. 11 passenger departures of 4,296 in August.

Looking ahead, there is more expansion in store for Shuttle America, but the concrete plans do not include Trenton Mercer.

On Monday, Shuttle America plans to inaugurate service between Bedford, Mass, and White Plains, N.Y.

The airline last month notched a deal with Saab Aircraft Leasing to expand its fleet of Saab 340A turboprops from 11 to 18.

Those additional planes are replacing larger DeHaviland Bombardier Dash-8 planes and providing for more expansion in the Northeast, Shuttle America has said in a statement.

Shuttle America switched from Bombardier Dash 8s because they wer harder to fill because of their larger seating capacity and also were more expensive to lease, Mann said.

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