New flight service from St. Augustine to Newark, NJ starts next month

St. Augustine — Airport authority officials announced today that Elite Airways will run non-stop flights between Newark Airport and St. Augustine beginning November 19.

Three different sized jets with the capacity to hold 50, 70 and 90 passengers respectively, will fly Mondays and Fridays. Seats will be assigned on a first-come first served basis and the first checked bag is free. Change fees will not be applied for tickets that can be purchased one-way or round trip. The almost two-hour flights are also pet-friendly.

John Pearsall, Elite Airways President, described the route as a “home run that connects historic St. Augustine and Ponte Vedra Beach with the New York City area – two highly sought-after tourist destinations.”

“We’re very excited,” he said. “This is a great idea that was years in the making. The timing is perfect. We designed the schedule around the weekend so people from the north can come just for the weekend or they can come for the week.”

Pearsall described the airport as beautifully designed for Elite’s aircrafts – those that serve smaller airports.

Before opening the airport to Elite Airways - a commercial airlines - to fly to and from Newark’s tri-city airport, flights in and out of NFRA were chartered. City and airport authorities agreed that these new commercial flights will open the door to even more flight patterns in the future.

Isabelle Renault, President and CEO of the St. Johns County Chamber of Commerce, spoke directly to the impact the commercial flights will have on tourism and the local economy of St. Johns County.

“Today is a very important for St. Johns County,” she said. “We rely on tourism to come into St. Johns County. Now we’ll have direct access to the New Jersey market which has loved St. Augustine for a very long time.”

Renault noted that the flights will bring tourists and tax dollars directly into the community.

“This is a big deal for our economic government,” she said. “Businesses from that area looking to relocate now have access to us.”

Airport officials described the venture as a win-win for all. The people-friendly, “not crowded” airport with low airline fees will provide convenience and calm for those looking to vacation, live or work in St. Johns County.

Presently flights will depart from Newark, New Jersey, at 11 a.m. and arrive in St. Augustine at 1:15 p.m. They will depart St. Augustine at 2 p.m. and arrive in Newark at 3:50 p.m.

Tickets will cost $129 each way. To book a flight, call 877-393-2510 or visit the Elite Airways’ website.

©2021 Cox Media Group