Published in Cape May County Herald.
Before boarding a flight, residents of Cape May County often have to make a lengthy drive out of the region. Whether traveling across the country or the world, locals face significant obstacles caused by limited nearby flight options and underutilized airports that offer far fewer services than their names suggest.
For international travelers, the situation is especially difficult. Cape May County residents routinely find themselves embarking on hours-long drives just to reach an airport capable of handling global routes. The closest dependable options — Philadelphia International Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport — require navigating congested highways, planning for expensive parking, and often leaving home many hours earlier than travelers in other regions. By the time these residents arrive at the terminal, the exhaustion of travel has already begun.
The frustration grows when considering geography. Much closer to Cape May County sits Atlantic City International Airport, an airport that carries an international designation but offers virtually no international flights. For residents, this feels like a particularly painful irony. The airport’s name suggests the possibility of global connectivity, yet in reality, it serves almost none. Many locals question why an international airport located within a reasonable distance remains unable to provide the flights neighboring counties enjoy. As a result, the community is left with an airport nearby in name only — one that holds promise but fails to deliver meaningful service for international travelers.
National travel is not much easier. Cape May County has its own regional airport, yet this facility functions more like a private aviation space than a public commercial airport. There are no scheduled passenger flights, making it essentially inaccessible for everyday travelers. While the presence of a regional airport might appear advantageous on paper, its lack of public service renders it ineffective for residents hoping to fly to cities across the US.
copyright mediaforfreedom.com published in cape may county herald newspaper.