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Although Flights to Orlando and Myrtle Off Line, Rock Says Both Resuming with One Adding Flight Days

By Jeff Toquinto on October 02, 2018 via Connect-Bridgeport.com

For those wanting to fly to Orlando or Myrtle Beach through Allegiant Airlines, you can’t. Currently, both services are not operating from Bridgeport.
 
The good news is that it’s only temporary and it’s happened before. The better news is North Central West Virginia Airport Director Rick Rock is going to do everything he can to try to eliminate the gaps in service and expand it in 2019.
 
“It was a very good year for Allegiant. Both the flight to Orlando and Myrtle Beach were great in capacity and load factors. The numbers are where they need to be an actually higher,” said Rock.
 
Even with that, Allegiant’s jet flight service to Orlando-Sanford Airport ended in August. The Myrtle Beach service came to a conclusion Sept. 23.
 
As of now, Rock said the service to Orlando will resume the first week of October. The Myrtle Beach flights are set to resume at June.
 
“I’d like to see more flights to Orlando or even see the break they take for a couple of months be eliminated and that argument is becoming easier and easier to make because of the load factors. Even the Myrtle Beach flight is one we’d like to see start earlier and end later,” Rock continued. “Add to that our plans to have a new terminal and it’s easy to show that we’re serious about it.”
 
When he’ll show them he’s serious is at a conference in Savannah, Ga., later this month. At that time, Rock said all airports with Allegiant service will have a chance to meet with corporate officials to discuss existing service and things that may benefit both the airline and the local airport.
 
“Along with everything I’ve already mentioned, even our revenues are up,” said Rock. “Since our flights have went down during this period, which has happened each year we’ve had the services, people are calling wish it was still on. We wish it was and we’ll do what we can, but it’s up to the airline to make the call.”
 
Rock did confirm good news already regarding the Orlando flight. Even before going to meet with the executives later this month, Allegiant has expanded flight service. He said there will be three flights per weeks as opposed to two during February and March.
 
“There will also be some additional holiday flights,” said Rock. “They actually did that last year. Those additional flights come during a period of exceedingly high volume, which makes sense for the airline to add those flights.”
 
Rock said as it relates to the two existing services, the end goal is simple.
 
“We want to add as many days as this region can support,” said Rock. “I’m confident that number should be more than what we have now. All we can do is keep asking and as I’ve said it’s easier to ask with the numbers we have.”
 
Editor's Note: Top photo shows an Allegiant jet coming into Bridgeport, while NCWV Airport Director Rick Rock is shown below.



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