Myrtle Beach International Airport's number one carrier will get even busier next spring, when it will add five new non-stop destinations from Myrtle Beach.
Spirit Airlines is adding more flights to more cities, and that means more competitive fares for all travelers, and the news comes just as county officials find out, the new airport terminal project will cost millions less to build.
At its peak, Spirit Airlines already flies more than 40,000 passengers a month from Myrtle Beach, about double its nearest competitors. Starting next spring, it will serve thousands more, adding flights to Charleston, West Virginia, Latrobe, Pennsylvania - serving the Pittsburgh area - Niagara Falls, New York, Plattsburgh, New York - serving the Montreal market - and Washington, D.C. "We look for new destinations that are places that people want to go and we look for places that don't already have a low fare option like spirit," said Misty Pinson, Spirit Airlines.
The D.C. flights will be daily, the others will be three or four times a week. All those cities are already served by other airlines. However tourism leaders say, adding the spirit flights will increase capacity and enhance competition. "In every one of these markets we already have a presence and we know that people are willing to fly here. Now it's just a matter of watching the airlines fill up and we think this is great news for everyone along the Grand Strand," said Brad Dean, Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce.
And as the airport grows, Horry County has discovered that the bonds to be sold to pay for the new airport terminal have garnered an "A" rating, which means the project will be paid-off much sooner than expected. "We think that the interest we have to pay on those bonds over the duration of the bonds will save us millions of dollars," said Liz Gilland, Horry County Council Chairman.
Speaking of millions, Brad Dean says the new Spirit flights will have an impact of $40 million to $50 million on the tourism economy. He says the D.C. flights are especially good news, since that market was underserved from Myrtle Beach.
The new flights will start May 5. Spirit is offering its $9 fares to all the new destinations.
Spirit Airlines has announced the addition of service to five new cities from Myrtle Beach International Airport.
Spirit will expand at MYR with non-stop service to Washington, DC (Reagan National Airport), Plattsburgh, NY, Niagara Falls, NY, Latrobe, PA, and Charleston, WV.
