Trenton–Mercer Airport is a county-owned, joint civil–military, public airport located four miles northwest of Trenton in the West Trenton section of Ewing Township, Mercer County,

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

. Formerly known as Mercer County Airport, the airport serves one scheduled airline plus

general A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED ...

and corporate

aviation Aviation includes the activities surrounding mechanical flight and the aircraft industry. ''Aircraft'' includes fixed-wing and rotary-wing types, morphable wings, wing-less lifting bodies, as well as lighter-than-air craft such as hot a ...

. The

U.S. Department of Transportation The United States Department of Transportation (USDOT or DOT) is one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government. It is headed by the secretary of transportation, who reports directly to the President of the United States and ...

reports that approximately 201,000 passengers departed and 200,000 arrived at the airport in the 12 months ending October 2021, for a total of 401,000 passengers. With an average of 308 aircraft operation per day, Trenton–Mercer is the third-busiest airport in New Jersey after Newark's 1228 per day and Teterboro's 477 per day. As of May 2018, Trenton was the fifth fastest growing airport in the US. It is included in the

Federal Aviation Administration The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the country as well as over surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic ...

(FAA) National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2019–2023, in which it is categorized as a non-hub primary commercial service facility.

History

The first

airplane An airplane or aeroplane (informally plane) is a fixed-wing aircraft that is propelled forward by thrust from a jet engine, Propeller (aircraft), propeller, or rocket engine. Airplanes come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and wing configurat ...

landed at what is now Trenton–Mercer Airport in 1907, in what was then Alfred Reeder's farm field, just off of Bear Tavern Road in Ewing. Twenty-two years later in 1929 Skillman Airport opened to the public. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, the nearby General Motors Inland Fisher Guide Plant ceased producing civilian vehicles and began making

Grumman TBF Avenger The Grumman TBF Avenger (designated TBM for aircraft manufactured by General Motors) is an American World War II-era torpedo bomber developed initially for the United States Navy and Marine Corps, and eventually used by several air and naval a ...

carrier-based

torpedo bomber A torpedo bomber is a military aircraft designed primarily to attack ships with aerial torpedoes. Torpedo bombers came into existence just before the First World War almost as soon as aircraft were built that were capable of carrying the weight ...

s for the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

. Skillman Airport expanded to accommodate test flights of this aircraft, and after the airport returned to county control following the end of the war it was renamed Mercer County Airport. After the war, the navy reestablished a presence with the construction of Naval Air Warfare Center Trenton adjacent to the airport, which remained open until 1997. The airport's

Air Traffic Control Air traffic control (ATC) is a service provided by ground-based air traffic controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and through a given section of controlled airspace, and can provide advisory services to aircraft in non-controlled airs ...

operations were based in the

control tower Air traffic control (ATC) is a service provided by ground-based air traffic controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and through a given section of controlled airspace, and can provide advisory services to aircraft in non-controlled airs ...

and operate between 6AM and midnight during the 1980s and early 1990s. Since January 1994, tower operations have been shortened to 6AM and 10PM. In 1994, as a cost-cutting measure, the Mercer County Airport Police and Fire Department was disbanded and replaced by the Mercer County Sheriff's Office (police) and ProTec Fire Services (Aircraft Fire Rescue). In 1995, the airport's name was changed to Trenton–Mercer Airport in an effort to identify it with the city of Trenton (the capital of New Jersey and

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

of Mercer County). On March 11, 1998, an NWS/

FAA The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the country as well as over surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic m ...

automated surface observing system Airport weather stations are automated sensor suites which are designed to serve aviation and meteorological operations, weather forecasting and climatology. Automated airport weather stations have become part of the backbone of weather observi ...

(ASOS) became operational at the airport, replacing the human weather observers that had previously reported weather conditions. For many years, the county has planned to replace the outdated terminal at the airport. These plans have been opposed by residents along the flight path living in Ewing,

Lawrence Lawrence may refer to: Education Colleges and universities * Lawrence Technological University, a university in Southfield, Michigan, United States * Lawrence University, a liberal arts university in Appleton, Wisconsin, United States Preparator ...

, Hopewell, and Pennington. Opposition has also been expressed in

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

among residents living along the flight path in Yardley and

Lower Makefield Lower Makefield Township is a township in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Lower Makefield Township is located in the Delaware Valley and borders New Jersey to its north and east. Most addresses in the township have a Yardley address, which surrou ...

Ground transportation

Enterprise and National rental counter at TTN

Mercer County has a variety of taxi cab companies that operate from the

Trenton Transit Center Trenton Transit Center is the main passenger train station in Trenton, New Jersey. It is the southernmost stop in New Jersey on the Northeast Corridor. It is the terminus for NJ Transit trains to and from New York City and SEPTA Trenton Line ...

, which services the Northeast Corridor via

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous U.S. States and nine cities in Canada ...

New Jersey Transit New Jersey Transit Corporation, branded as NJ Transit, and often shortened to NJT, is a state-owned public transportation system that serves the U.S. state of New Jersey, along with portions of New York State and Pennsylvania. It operates bu ...

and

SEPTA The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) is a regional public transportation authority that operates bus, rapid transit, commuter rail, light rail, and electric trolleybus services for nearly 4 million people in five c ...

railroads.

NJ Transit New Jersey Transit Corporation, branded as NJ Transit, and often shortened to NJT, is a state-owned public transportation system that serves the U.S. state of New Jersey, along with portions of New York State and Pennsylvania. It operates bu ...

Route 608 bus stops on Sam Weinroth Road near the terminal for travel to SEPTA'S

West Trenton station West Trenton station is the northern terminus of the SEPTA West Trenton Line. It is located at Grand & Railroad Avenues in the West Trenton section of Ewing Township, New Jersey, United States, however this address only applies to the southbou ...

for connections to SEPTA's

West Trenton Line The West Trenton Line is a SEPTA Regional Rail service connecting Center City Philadelphia to the West Trenton section of Ewing Township, New Jersey. With around 12,000 riders every weekday, it is the third busiest line in the SEPTA Regional R ...

to Center City Philadelphia,

for connections to

, NJ Transit's

Northeast Corridor Line The Northeast Corridor Line is a commuter rail service operated by NJ Transit between the Trenton Transit Center and New York Penn Station on Amtrak's Northeast Corridor in the United States. The service is the successor to Pennsylvania Railroad ...

to Newark/New York, River Line to Camden, SEPTA's Trenton Line to Center City Philadelphia, other NJ Transit bus routes to points in Mercer County, South Jersey, and Philadelphia, and SEPTA Suburban Bus Route 127 to Oxford Valley Mall in Langhorne, PA, and Hamilton station for connections to NJ Transit's Northeast Corridor Line to Newark/New York. Fare is $1.60 one way for adults, and operates daily.

Facilities and aircraft

Baggage Claim at Trenton-Mercer County Airport

Trenton–Mercer Airport covers 1,345 acres (544 ha) at an

elevation The elevation of a geographic location is its height above or below a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface (see Geodetic datum § Ver ...

of 212 feet (65 m) above

mean sea level There are several kinds of mean in mathematics, especially in statistics. Each mean serves to summarize a given group of data, often to better understand the overall value (magnitude and sign) of a given data set. For a data set, the '' ari ...

. It has two

asphalt Asphalt, also known as bitumen (, ), is a sticky, black, highly viscous liquid or semi-solid form of petroleum. It may be found in natural deposits or may be a refined product, and is classed as a pitch. Before the 20th century, the term ...

runway According to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and takeoff of aircraft". Runways may be a man-made surface (often asphalt, concre ...

s: 6/24 is 6,006 by 150 feet (1,831 x 46 m) and 16/34 is 4,800 by 150 feet (1,463 x 46 m). The airport has three helipads, H1, H2, and H3, each 64 by 64 feet (20 x 20 m). To meet FAA requirements that certain runways be equipped with an EMAS bed before the end of 2013, the airport installed EMAS beds at both ends of runway 16/34 in 2012; officials announced plans in early 2013 to close runway 6/24 for two months that fall to install an EMAS bed at both ends. For the 12-month period ending April 2, 2019, the airport had 112,513 aircraft operations, an average of 308 per day: 92%

general aviation General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations with the exception of commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation services ...

, 4%

commercial Commercial may refer to: * a dose of advertising conveyed through media (such as - for example - radio or television) ** Radio advertisement ** Television advertisement * (adjective for:) commerce, a system of voluntary exchange of products and s ...

, 4%

air taxi An air taxi is a small commercial aircraft that makes short flights on demand. In 2001 air taxi operations were promoted in the United States by a NASA and aerospace industry study on the potential Small Aircraft Transportation System (SATS) ...

, and <1%

military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...

. In May 2020, there were 153 aircraft based at this airport: 86 single-

engine An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert one or more forms of energy into mechanical energy. Available energy sources include potential energy (e.g. energy of the Earth's gravitational field as exploited in hydroelectric power ...

, 21 multi-engine, 29 jet, and 17

helicopter A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forward, backward and laterally. These attributes ...

. Trenton–Mercer Airport is home to multiple flight schools including Infinity Flight Group,

Mercer County Community College Mercer County Community College (MCCC) is a public, community college in Mercer County, New Jersey. More than 7,000 students enroll in one or more credit courses each year. Established in 1966, MCCC has an open-door admission policy. The West ...

, and an

ATP Flight School ATP Flight School, headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, is the largest flight training company in the United States. The privately held company was founded in 1984 in Atlanta, GA by its current management, a small group of airline pilots. A ...

location.

Military facilities and aircraft

The airport is home to Army Aviation Support Facility #2 and the 1st Battalion, 150th Aviation Regiment, otherwise known as the 1-150th General Support Aviation Battalion of the New Jersey Army National Guard. Equipped with

UH-60 Blackhawk The Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk is a four-blade, twin-engine, medium-lift utility military helicopter manufactured by Sikorsky Aircraft. Sikorsky submitted the S-70 design for the United States Army's Utility Tactical Transport Aircraft System ( ...

helicopters, the battalion provides ground force commanders of the 42nd Infantry Division (Mechanized) with additional air assault, transportation, re-supply, and command and control assets. In its state role under Title 32 United States Code, the unit also provides emergency logistical support in response to disasters or any other emergency support as may be directed by the

Governor of New Jersey The governor of New Jersey is the head of government of New Jersey. The office of governor is an elected position with a four-year term. There is a two consecutive term term limit, with no limitation on non-consecutive terms. The official r ...

. The airport is also home to the Twin Pine Composite Squadron (NER-NJ-092) of the New Jersey Wing of the Civil Air Patrol.

Terminal and future developments

Trenton–Mercer Airport has one terminal with four gates. Gate 2 is divided into 3 sub-gates labeled Gates 2–4. On the upper level of the terminal (before security) is an observation lounge as well as a restaurant, Sky Lounge at Ewing, serving

pub food A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and was ...

. Sky Lounge has another location past security near Gate 1 that serves drinks and pre-packaged sandwiches and wraps. Parking is $2 per hour and $8 per day. On November 8, 2013, Mercer County opened a renovated terminal, including a new modular trailer baggage claim outside the terminal, restrooms in the gate area (there were previously no restrooms past security), and—in the area originally occupied by the baggage claim—additional passenger seating and a new gate. In August 2014, the airport was awarded $2.2 million to rehabilitate 3 taxiways. A spokesperson for the county said that this was the first phase of a three-year plan to make further improvements. In a study commissioned by the county released in 2013, a new passenger terminal, a corporate office park, medical offices and laboratories, and commercial space would be part of a plan to develop available land at the airport. On September 29, 2016, Mercer County in conjunction with firms Urban Engineers and McFarland Johnson held a public meeting at the nearby West Trenton Ballroom meeting hall. Several aspects of the proposed master plan for the airport were revealed. Plans call for a new terminal sized at 115,000–125,000 square feet. The current terminal is 24,780 square feet. The rental car area will house up to five rental car agencies and with concession, restrooms and gate area expanding to four times the current area. In 2021, Mercer County released a draft environmental assessment for public comment revealing the final plans for the terminal which will be 125,000 square feet and includes a 1,000-space four-level parking garage which would bring available parking to approximately 2900 spaces. In March 2022, the FAA issued its approval for the project. The estimated completion date of the terminal and parking garage is mid-to-late 2024

Airline and destinations

Statistics

Top destinations

Carrier shares

Former scheduled airline service

* Allegheny McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30s nonstop to

Chicago O'Hare Airport Chicago O'Hare International Airport , sometimes referred to as, Chicago O'Hare, or simply O'Hare, is the main international airport serving Chicago, Illinois, located on the city's Northwest Side, approximately northwest of the Loop busine ...

in 1977 were probably Trenton's first jet flights. According to the

Official Airline Guide OAG is a global travel data provider with headquarters in the UK. The company was founded in 1929 and operates in the USA, Singapore, Japan, Lithuania and China. It has a large network of flight information data including schedules, flight st ...

( OAG), the only airline serving Trenton in 1976 was

Allegheny Commuter Allegheny, Alleghany or Allegany may refer to: Places Geologic and geographic features * Allegheny River, in Pennsylvania and New York * Allegheny Mountains, part of the Appalachian Mountain Range in West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Vir ...

operating small

Nord 262 Nord, a word meaning "north" in several European languages, may refer to: Acronyms * National Organization for Rare Disorders, an American nonprofit organization * New Orleans Recreation Department, New Orleans, Louisiana, US Film and televis ...

commuter turboprops with nonstops from Newark Airport and

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...

as well as direct one stop flights from Washington National Airport with all service operated on behalf of Allegheny on a code sharing basis. *

United United may refer to: Places * United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community * United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community Arts and entertainment Films * ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film * ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two f ...

flew mainline jet service with

Boeing 727-200 The Boeing 727 is an American narrow-body airliner that was developed and produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. After the heavy 707 quad-jet was introduced in 1958, Boeing addressed the demand for shorter flight lengths from smaller airpo ...

s and

Boeing 737-200 The Boeing 737 is a narrow-body aircraft produced by Boeing at its Renton Factory in Washington. Developed to supplement the Boeing 727 on short and thin routes, the twinjet retains the 707 fuselage width and six abreast seating with two u ...

s to Trenton direct from

in 1984–86. * According to the

( OAG), by late 1989

USAir Express US Airways Express was the brand name for the regional affiliate of US Airways, under which a number of individually owned commuter air carriers and regional airlines operate short and medium haul routes. This code sharing service was previously ...

was the only airline serving Trenton with flights operated with small

British Aerospace British Aerospace plc (BAe) was a British aircraft, munitions and defence-systems manufacturer. Its head office was at Warwick House in the Farnborough Aerospace Centre in Farnborough, Hampshire. Formed in 1977, in 1999 it purchased Marcon ...

BAe Jetstream 31 commuter propjets nonstop from both

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

and

Washington Reagan National Airport Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport , sometimes referred to colloquially as National Airport, Washington National, Reagan National Airport, DCA, Reagan, or simply National, is an international airport in Arlington County, Virginia, across ...

flown via a code sharing agreement with

USAir US Airways (formerly USAir) was a major United States airline that operated from 1937 until its merger with American Airlines in 2015. It was originally founded in Pittsburgh as a mail delivery airline called All American Aviation, which soon b ...

. * In the mid to late 1990s

Eastwind Airlines Eastwind Airlines was a start-up airline formed in mid-1995 and headquartered in Trenton, New Jersey, United States,Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...

for a short time. This was one of the few instances where Trenton–Mercer saw scheduled jet service from its short runways with

and

737-700 The Boeing 737 Next Generation, commonly abbreviated as 737NG, or 737 Next Gen, is a narrow-body aircraft powered by two jet engines and produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Launched in 1993 as the third generation derivative of the Boeing ...

aircraft although other airlines operated jet service as well. * From 1998 until 2003

Shuttle America Shuttle America Corporation was an American regional airline based in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. It fed United Airlines flights at Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) and Houston Intercontinental Airport (IAH) under the United Express bra ...

operated a scheduled business commuter service to airports in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, Delaware, and North Carolina. The airline flew 50 seat

de Havilland Canada Dash 8 The De Havilland Canada DHC-8, commonly known as the Dash 8, is a series of turboprop-powered regional airliners, introduced by de Havilland Canada (DHC) in 1984. DHC was later bought by Boeing in 1988, then by Bombardier in 1992; then by ...

-311 turboprops and had all its aircraft stocked with in-flight service items when stopping in Trenton. The airline ceased operations at TTN after a

codeshare A codeshare agreement, also known simply as codeshare, is a business arrangement, common in the aviation industry, in which two or more airlines publish and market the same flight under their own airline designator and flight number (the "airli ...

service with

US Airways US Airways (formerly USAir) was a major United States airline that operated from 1937 until its merger with American Airlines in 2015. It was originally founded in Pittsburgh as a mail delivery airline called All American Aviation, which soon ...

drew customers to nearby

from Trenton. * In 2006 and 2007 Comair flew to

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

and

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

from Trenton as

Delta Connection Delta Connection is a regional airline brand name for Delta Air Lines, under which a number of individually owned regional airlines primarily operate short- and medium-haul routes. Mainline major air carriers often use regional airlines to ope ...

using

Canadair CRJ-200 The Bombardier CRJ100 and CRJ200 (previously Canadair CRJ100 and CRJ200) is a regional jet designed and manufactured by Bombardier Aerospace between 1991 and 2006, the first of the Bombardier CRJ family. The ''Canadair Regional Jet'' (CRJ) pro ...

regional jet aircraft. After a few months Big Sky Airlines took over the Boston service with Beechcraft 1900 commuter propjets. The service ended in early January 2008. * From May 2000 until February 2008

Boston-Maine Airways Boston-Maine Airways was an American airline headquartered in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, United States. It operated scheduled commuter services as well as Boeing 727 jet flights under the Pan Am Clipper Connection name. Its main base was Pease ...

operated the Pan Am Clipper Connection between Trenton–Mercer Airport and

Hanscom Field Laurence G. Hanscom Field , commonly known as Hanscom Field, is a public use airport operated by the Massachusetts Port Authority, located outside Boston in Bedford, Massachusetts, United States. Hanscom is mainly a general aviation airport, ...

Bedford Bedford is a market town in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 Census, the population of the Bedford built-up area (including Biddenham and Kempston) was 106,940, making it the second-largest settlement in Bedfordshire, behind Luton, whilst ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...

. The flight was terminated when Boston-Maine Airways ceased operating on February 28, 2008. * On April 4, 2011, Streamline Airlines re-commenced the former Pan-Am Clipper Connection route between Bedford–Hanscom and Trenton using an

Embraer EMB-120 Brasilia The Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia is a twin-turboprop 30-passenger commuter airliner designed and manufactured by the Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer. The EMB 120 began development during 1974. While initially conceived as a modular series of ...

turboprop. The carrier was consistently losing money and shut down on September 14, 2012, citing a poor economic climate and unprofitable operations. * On April 29, 2018,

Allegiant Air Allegiant Air (usually shortened to Allegiant) is an ultra low-cost U.S. carrier that operates scheduled and charter flights. It is a major air carrier, the fourteenth-largest commercial airline in North America. Allegiant was founded in 1 ...

ended all-jet service from and to Trenton–Mercer Airport, leaving Frontier as the only commercial tenant.

Footnotes

Notes

References

USGS The United States Geological Survey (USGS), formerly simply known as the Geological Survey, is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, a ...

The National Map ''The National Map'' is a collaborative effort of the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and other federal, state, and local agencies to improve and deliver topographic information for the United States. The purpose of the effort is to pro ...

'' * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Trenton-Mercer Airport 1929 establishments in New Jersey Airports established in 1929 Airports in New Jersey Ewing Township, New Jersey Transportation buildings and structures in Mercer County, New Jersey