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Trenton–Mercer Airport

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For other Mercer County airports, see Mercer County Airport (disambiguation).
Trenton Mercer Airport
Summary
Airport typePublic
OwnerCounty of Mercer
ServesTrenton, New Jersey
LocationEwing, New Jersey
Elevation AMSL212 ft / 65 m
Websitenj.gov/counties/mercer/...
Maps
FAA airport diagram
FAA airport diagram
TTN is located in New Jersey
TTN
TTN
Location of airport in New Jersey
Map
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
6/24 6,006 1,831 Asphalt
16/34 4,800 1,463 Asphalt
Helipads
Number Length Surface
ft m
H1 64 20 Asphalt
H2 64 20 Asphalt
H3 64 20 Asphalt
Statistics (2010)
Aircraft operations84,614
Based aircraft154

Trenton Mercer Airport (IATA: TTN, ICAO: KTTN, FAA LID: TTN) is a county owned, public use airport four miles northwest of the central business district of Trenton in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States.[1] Formerly known as Mercer County Airport, it is in Ewing, New Jersey. The airport handles general and corporate aviation.

Trenton-Mercer is the sixth busiest airport in New Jersey (after Newark, Essex County, Teterboro, Morristown, and Atlantic City).

As per Federal Aviation Administration records, the airport had 24,634 passenger boardings (enplanements) in calendar year 2007, 974 enplanements in 2008,[2] 561 in 2009, and 853 in 2010.[3] It is included in the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015, which categorized it as a general aviation facility.[4]

History

The first airplane 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 was opened to the public.

During World War II the nearby General Motors plant ceased producing civilian vehicles and began making TBF Avenger bombers for the United States Navy. 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.

Airport Air Traffic Control operations based in the control tower were 6 AM to Midnight during the 1980s and early 1990s. Since January 1994, tower operations have been shortened to 6 AM to 10 PM.

In 1995 the airport's name was changed from Mercer County Airport to Trenton-Mercer Airport in an effort to more closely identify it with the city of Trenton (the capital of New Jersey and county seat of Mercer County).

On March 11, 1998 an NWS/FAA Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS) became operational at the airport, replacing the human weather observers which had previously reported weather conditions.

For many years the county has had plans to expand the airport and attract more commercial airlines. These plans have been opposed by residents of suburban housing tracts in Ewing, Lawrence, Hopewell, Lower Makefield, Pennington and Yardley (some of which are in Pennsylvania, across the Delaware River). Most of these developments were built after the airport.

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). The fire department was initially lead by Chief James Lonergan, who was previously was the director of aircraft rescue at Philadelphia International and Boston Logan Airport.

He was replaced, in 1997, by Mike Schwartz, who currently serves as an elected Ward Councilman in Delran Township. Chief Schwartz was also assigned as the Director of Fire Rescue at Morristown Municipal Airport in New Jersey. Following his retirement, he was replaced by Jim West at Trenton (who previously worked with the Space Shuttle program), and Morristown Municipal contracted with Rural-Metro Fire Service.

Facilities and aircraft

Trenton Mercer Airport covers 1,345 acres (544 ha) at an elevation of 212 feet (65 m) above mean sea level. It has two asphalt paved runways: 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 also has three helipads designated H1, H2, and H3, each measuring 64 by 64 feet (20 x 20 m).[1]

For the 12-month period ending December 31, 2010, the airport had 84,614 aircraft operations, an average of 231 per day: 95% general aviation, 3% air taxi, and 2% military. At that time there were 154 aircraft based at this airport: 48% single-engine, 10% multi-engine, 10% jet, 21% helicopter, and 10.4% military.[1]

Pilot training

Trenton-Mercer Airport is home to multiple flight schools. Both Mercer County Community College's flight department and ATP Flight School are based on the field.[5][6]

The airport also is home to Royal Karina Air Service, which provides both flight training and aircraft rental.[7]

Civil Air Patrol

Trenton-Mercer Airport is also home to the Twin Pine Composite Squadron (NER-NJ-092) of the Civil Air Patrol.[8]

Airlines and destinations

AirlinesDestinations
Frontier Airlines Fort Lauderdale [begins February 2, 2013], Fort Myers [begins January 31, 2013], New Orleans [begins February 1, 2013], Orlando[9], Tampa [begins January 31, 2013]

Former commercial service

  • In the Mid to Late 1990s Eastwind Airlines operated a hub out of Trenton to Florida and Virginia as well as airports in Massachusetts, New York and Pennsylvania. The airline flew from Philadelphia for a short time too. This was one of the only times Trenton-Mercer saw scheduled jet service from its short runways with 737-200 and 737-700 aircraft.
  • From 1998 until 2003 Shuttle America operated a scheduled business commuter service to airports in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York and North Carolina. The airline flew 50 seat De Havilland Dash 8-311 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 service with US Airways drew customers to nearby Philadelphia from Trenton.

References

  1. ^ a b c d FAA Airport Form 5010 for TTN PDF. Federal Aviation Administration. Effective April 5, 2012.
  2. ^ "Enplanements for CY 2008" (PDF, 1.0 MB). CY 2008 Passenger Boarding and All-Cargo Data. Federal Aviation Administration. December 18, 2009. {{cite web}}: External link in |work= (help)
  3. ^ "Enplanements for CY 2010" (PDF, 5.4 MB). CY 2010 Passenger Boarding and All-Cargo Data. Federal Aviation Administration. October 4, 2011. {{cite web}}: External link in |work= (help)
  4. ^ "2011–2015 NPIAS Report, Appendix A" (PDF, 2.03 MB). National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems. Federal Aviation Administration. October 4, 2010. {{cite web}}: External link in |work= (help)
  5. ^ http://www.mccc.edu/aviation
  6. ^ http://www.atpflightschool.com
  7. ^ http://www.IReallyWantToFly.com
  8. ^ http://twinpine.njwg.cap.gov
  9. ^ http://www.nj.com/mercer/index.ssf/2012/11/frontier_airlines_adds_flights.html
  10. ^ http://www.state.nj.us/counties/mercer/departments/airport/airlines.html


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