As North Central West Virginia Airport officials continue to work with Allegiant and Myrtle Beach International Airport to extend summer flights to and from the popular South Carolina destination, they’re also gearing up for something else.

 

“The first flight to Destin is Saturday and I think, once again, it’s going to be a very popular,” said NCWV Airport Director Rick Rock.

 

The Destin flight started last year as a summer only destination. Earlier this month, Rock told the Benedum Airport Authority – the airport’s governing body – that the flight had been extended through November.

 

The flights will run Saturday and Wednesday. The other flight is the highly popular Myrtle Beach flight, which has flights Thursday and Sunday.

 

“It’s going to be busy from the start of the summer and beyond thanks to passengers supporting these flights and sticking with us through COVID and any other difficult time,” said Rock. “That support is what helped extend the Destin flight.”

 

Ironically, the Destin flight was extended without nearly as much effort has Rock and airport officials have put into trying to extend the Myrtle Beach flights well into the fall or even year-round. The first flight for it is Wednesday, June 2 and the last flight is set for August 14.

 

“Myrtle is a strong market for us and has been for the five or six years we’ve had the service. We think it will continue and hope to extend it further into the fall or perhaps year-round,” he said. “The strong numbers will help us as we make the push.”

 

The push is not being done by Bridgeport and NCWV Airport officials alone. Rock also divulged that Myrtle Beach International Airport is working with them to try to get Allegiant to extend the flight service and agreeing the service is “underserved” for this region.

 

“That’s a big positive,” Rock said. “It just isn’t an easy path as you would like, but Allegiant is a good partner and there are a number of factors at play whenever we negotiate. I imagine fuel costs right now are also a factor, but I feel good about our status with Allegiant moving forward. Saturday is when we’re full throttle with them.”

 

The addition of the summer flights goes along with the Allegiant flights that are year-round to Orlando and to Tampa and St. Petersburg.

 

The Allegiant Airbus A320 used locally holds up to 177 passengers. Saturday's Destin flight, as of Friday at noon, had 125 seats booked. The Myrtle Beach flight for next week has 165 seats reserved.