It wasn’t just any flight that departed Bridgeport at right around 4:30 p.m. today. Sure, it was a familiar looking Allegiant MD80 jet airplane that many have become accustomed to, but this one had a bit of a special meaning to it for those at the North Central West Virginia Airport.

 

“Today marked the start of the second round of flights by Allegiant flying from Bridgeport to Myrtle Beach and back,” said NCWV Director Rick Rock. “To not only have them back, but to have them back on an extended schedule makes it an even better day. Plus, we got off to a good start.”

 

As has been the case with  most of the Allegiant flights – both those to Orlando and today’s second round of Myrtle Beach flights – there was few seats left. Rock said the initial flight has 152 individuals on board the 162 seat jet, or roughly 92 percent capacity.

 

“Those numbers are good and we expect those numbers and will work hard to make them even grow higher,” said Rock. “There was one thing some people may have missed and may have dismissed if they did see it and that was the number of people that arrived here from Myrtle Beach today.”

 

Last year, Rock said the initial flight that came in from Myrtle had just 12 people on it. Although the numbers grow as people departing from this area begin using the return flight, he said the fact that 40 people departed shows that word is even getting out in South Carolina.

 

“I think that’s the result of the buzz that we have with Allegiant,” said Rock. “We’re seeing growth on day one and we hope that continues all the way through the extended season.”

 

Last year, the Myrtle Beach flights ended in mid-August. However, the flights were so successful that Allegiant announced that this year the flights will last from the first Friday in June – today this year – until Sept. 26, or roughly a month and a half longer.

 

The flights run every Monday and Friday now though the end of September. The flight from Myrtle Beach departs at 2:30 p.m. and arrives in Bridgeport at roughly 3:30 p.m. The departure from Bridgeport back to Myrtle is 4:30 p.m.

 

Plenty of tickets remain for future flights. However, we have 30 percent of the available tickets already sold – 1,705 departure tickets – and Rock and others have always pointed to the fact that as the warm weather months continue ticket sales generally rise.

 

Individuals looking to purchase tickets can do so by clicking HERE to be taken to the NCWV’s Web site page that has booking information for both Allegiant flights. There is a link for contact information for the airport at the top of the page.

 

Editor's Note: Top two photos show the Allegiant plan as it arrives, including a spraydown hero's type welcome. Bottom photo shows Harrison County Board of Education vice president and area resident Frank Devono, Jr. on the left getting ready to board the flight.