# Delaware getting commercial airline flights again **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 31, 2020, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/delaware-getting-commercial-airline-flights-again/847282 "2020-01-31T11:46:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2020, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/delaware-getting-commercial-airline-flights-again/847282/1 "2020-01-31T11:46:56Z")
Right now they are the only state without commercial flights. Probably because Wilmington is only 32 miles from Philly > **[Frontier Airlines lists first flights from New Castle Airport](https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/airline-news/2020/01/30/frontier-airlines-only-commercial-airline-serving-delaware/4619548002/)** > > Prices for flights from the New Castle Airport are not yet listed on Frontier's website. ---
**Author:** ![Kovitlac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/2bfe46/32.png) [@Kovitlac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kovitlac)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2020, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/delaware-getting-commercial-airline-flights-again/847282/2 "2020-01-31T15:14:05Z")
I gotta drive about 90 minutes away for a flight, unless I want to spend $$$ on tickets. My city has an airport, but it’s literally 2 gates. You’re good if you’re going to Chicago, but for my upcoming summer trip to Alaska it was a big no-go. The only thing I love about my city’s airport is it’s designation: SUX. Well, and it’s size does come in handy if you do get a cheaper flight. You spend literally 5 minutes in security, if that. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2020, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/delaware-getting-commercial-airline-flights-again/847282/3 "2020-01-31T15:29:07Z")
> [@Kovitlac](#): > > The only thing I love about my city’s airport is it’s designation: SUX. You’d think they’d try to de-emphasize that. Nope: [https://flysux.com/](https://flysux.com/) And they have “Fly SUX” in **big** letters right on the top of the page. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2020, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/delaware-getting-commercial-airline-flights-again/847282/4 "2020-01-31T15:49:39Z")
^ Shades of “[Robocop](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6v_nrf9nFQ).” ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2020, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/delaware-getting-commercial-airline-flights-again/847282/5 "2020-01-31T18:02:55Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > You’d think they’d try to de-emphasize that. > > Nope: [https://flysux.com/](https://flysux.com/) > > And they have “Fly SUX” in **big** letters right on the top of the page. For years they _did_ try to change it. They lobbied the FAA to assign them a new designation. The thing is, the FAA doesn’t really like to change stuff like that once they’ve been assigned\*, since it can cause confusion for pilots, maps have to be updated, etc. So eventually Sioux City realized it was a lost cause, took a completely different tack, and decided to just embrace SUX. \*They did change IDL to JFK after they renamed that airport in Kennedy’s honor, but that’s the only change like that I’m aware of. Back to the OP, it sounds like Frontier is just going to offer some flights from Wilmington to Orlando, and that’s it. Which is ok, I guess, for people who want to go to Orlando on vacation. But people who need to go pretty much anywhere else will still have to fly from Philly. (I doubt you can connect to much of anywhere anywhere in Orlando on Frontier. I’m not sure if they even offer connecting itineraries – most “ultra low cost” airlines don’t). ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2020, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/delaware-getting-commercial-airline-flights-again/847282/6 "2020-01-31T19:03:02Z")
> [@WildaBeast](#): > > For years they _did_ try to change it. They lobbied the FAA to assign them a new designation. The thing is, the FAA doesn’t really like to change stuff like that once they’ve been assigned\*, since it can cause confusion for pilots, maps have to be updated, etc. So eventually Sioux City realized it was a lost cause, took a completely different tack, and decided to just embrace SUX. > > \*They did change IDL to JFK after they renamed that airport in Kennedy’s honor, but that’s the only change like that I’m aware of. > > Back to the OP, it sounds like Frontier is just going to offer some flights from Wilmington to Orlando, and that’s it. Which is ok, I guess, for people who want to go to Orlando on vacation. But people who need to go pretty much anywhere else will still have to fly from Philly. (I doubt you can connect to much of anywhere anywhere in Orlando on Frontier. I’m not sure if they even offer connecting itineraries – most “ultra low cost” airlines don’t). I know of one other case where an airport changed its code. In 1973, the code for Baltimore Washington International Airport changed from BAL to BWI. ---
**Author:** ![Kovitlac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/2bfe46/32.png) [@Kovitlac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kovitlac)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2020, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/delaware-getting-commercial-airline-flights-again/847282/7 "2020-01-31T19:11:23Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > You’d think they’d try to de-emphasize that. > > Nope: [https://flysux.com/](https://flysux.com/) > > And they have “Fly SUX” in **big** letters right on the top of the page. Most of those I talk to about it here actually tend to embrace it. I personally love it. I want a t-shirt that says “Flying SUX”. They have “Fly SUX”, but I think the former is funnier. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2020, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/delaware-getting-commercial-airline-flights-again/847282/8 "2020-01-31T19:30:40Z")
> [@WildaBeast](#): > > For years they _did_ try to change it. They lobbied the FAA to assign them a new designation. The thing is, the FAA doesn’t really like to change stuff like that once they’ve been assigned\*, since it can cause confusion for pilots, maps have to be updated, etc. In fact, the inertia is so big that when Stapleton Airport closed and Denver International Airport opened, the new airport should probably have been designated DIA but it kept the old designation DEN. I imagine that could have caused confusion as well. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2020, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/delaware-getting-commercial-airline-flights-again/847282/9 "2020-01-31T20:22:15Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > In fact, the inertia is so big that when Stapleton Airport closed and Denver International Airport opened, the new airport should probably have been designated DIA but it kept the old designation DEN. I imagine that could have caused confusion as well. I’m pretty sure the only reason that was allowed was because Stapleton closed permanently when the new airport opened. When Sacramento International Airport opened in the late 1960s the old airport kept SAC, since it remained opened, albeit purely as a general aviation airport. Sac International had to use SMF (It was originally called Sacramento Metropolitan Field, so it made some sense at the time). I imagine it was similar with HOU/IAH in Houston, and DAL/DFW in Dallas, although in those cases there are still commercial flights serving the older airports. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2020, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/delaware-getting-commercial-airline-flights-again/847282/10 "2020-01-31T20:35:03Z")
DEN makes a lot more sense than DIA to me. Alaska has the highest number of pilots per capita because many small towns are only reachable by air or dog sled or snowmobile. I guess technically you could walk but it’s not advised. For example read Into the Wild book. ---
**Author:** ![zimaane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a3d4f5/32.png) [@zimaane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zimaane)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2020, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/delaware-getting-commercial-airline-flights-again/847282/11 "2020-01-31T22:23:36Z")
Dulles International Airport was - logically enough - DIA. But people confused with it nearby District of Columbia airport which was DCA. So Dulles’ code was changed to IAD in 1968. District of Columbia airport was later renamed Ronald Reagan National airport, but the code was left as DCA. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2020, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/delaware-getting-commercial-airline-flights-again/847282/12 "2020-01-31T22:59:25Z")
> [@WildaBeast](#): > > For years they _did_ try to change it. They lobbied the FAA to assign them a new designation. The thing is, the FAA doesn’t really like to change stuff like that once they’ve been assigned\*, since it can cause confusion for pilots, maps have to be updated, etc. So eventually Sioux City realized it was a lost cause, took a completely different tack, and decided to just embrace SUX. > > \*They did change IDL to JFK after they renamed that airport in Kennedy’s honor, but that’s the only change like that I’m aware of. ??? The three letter code is the code airlines use for passenger bookings. The fixed services are a 4 letter code ( International Civil Aviation Organization) that pilots and maps use. ??? In the rest of the world, it’s not unknown for airports to change their IATA code – IATA is an International Air Transport Association, so it pays more attention to it’s members (airlines) than to what city governments want. Maybe SUX didn’t really have the support of the Airlines? ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2020, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/delaware-getting-commercial-airline-flights-again/847282/13 "2020-01-31T23:30:52Z")
> [@Melbourne](#): > > ??? The three letter code is the code airlines use for passenger bookings. The fixed services are a 4 letter code ( International Civil Aviation Organization) that pilots and maps use. ??? > > In the rest of the world, it’s not unknown for airports to change their IATA code – IATA is an International Air Transport Association, so it pays more attention to it’s members (airlines) than to what city governments want. Maybe SUX didn’t really have the support of the Airlines? Evidentally they were [offered some alternatives](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sioux_Gateway_Airport) (but only after years of asking, IIRC), but they didn’t like any of them and elected to stay with SUX. > [@](#): > > After petitioning the FAA for a changed airport identifier in 1998 and 2002, authorities found the alternatives offered - GWU, GYO, GYT, SGV, and GAY - to be unappealing, and elected to stay with SUX Usually in the US an airport’s ICAO code is just the IATA code with the letter ‘K’ tacked on the front. So KSUX and SUX in this case. I wonder if there was some reluctance to change one of them without changing the other, perhaps? ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2020, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/delaware-getting-commercial-airline-flights-again/847282/14 "2020-02-01T12:48:27Z")
they sold the land where Stapleton was and there are now houses there now. They had to bring in heavy equipment to break up the runways and take out the concrete, they were much thicker than roads. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2020, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/delaware-getting-commercial-airline-flights-again/847282/15 "2020-02-02T01:08:29Z")
My local airport code is “YQR”. See if you can figure that out without googling it! ---
**Author:** ![SuperAbe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f17d59/32.png) [@SuperAbe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuperAbe)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2020, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/delaware-getting-commercial-airline-flights-again/847282/16 "2020-02-02T03:22:09Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > My local airport code is “YQR”. See if you can figure that out without googling it! Not a fair one since I happen to know that’s Regina, but I didn’t know it’s from Regina’s official nickname: - “Y” (because Canada…long story) - “Q” (The Queen City) - “R” (Regina) Now if only some one can tell me why Gander’s airport code is YQX…