Need a summer vacation?
Local residents will soon have an easier and cheaper way to fly to Mississippi’s Secret Coast, making it a more attractive getaway destination.
In a few weeks, Sun Country Airlines will launch a new nonstop route between Southwest Florida International Airport and Gulfport, with one-way fares starting as low as $59.
The low-budget carrier will offer two new seasonal routes to and from Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport, starting July 19.
The other airport adding the service is Austin-Bergstrom International in Texas.
“Both Austin and Fort Myers are unique and exciting destinations for local residents to enjoy, and we are extremely grateful for the convenient air travel option for visitors to the Mississippi Gulf Coast,” said Clay Williams, Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport’s executive director, in a news release.
Flights are on sale now, but only to Sun Country Rewards members. To join the rewards program, visit suncountry.com/rewards..
The new service will be offered twice a week — on Mondays and Fridays — at Southwest Florida International, known for short as RSW.
“This new service will complement Sun Country’s growing presence at RSW,” said Carol L. Obermeier, the director of air service development at Southwest Florida International.
There are no other direct commercial flights offered between the two destinations.
“In the past we have had a casino charter to Gulfport-Biloxi — nothing scheduled,” Obermeier said.
A great fit
Considered a premier area for casino gaming, Gulfport also boasts miles of beaches and beautiful golf courses, said Ted Botimer, Sun Country’s chief commercial officer, in a news release.
“Our focus on low fares and customer service has been a great fit for tourists visiting this market and we look forward to our continued partnership with the Gulfport-Biloxi Regional Airport Authority,” he said.
Milton Segarra, CEO of Coastal Mississippi, the tourism marketing arm for the tri-county region, said Florida is one of the top three feeder markets for visitors to the area. He expects to see that visitation grow noticeably with the direct service from Fort Myers.
About 80 percent of coastal Mississippi’s visitors drive to the destination. The new routes from Fort Myers and Austin are expected to significantly boost the number of tourists arriving by air, Segarra said.
Segarra sees his coastal destination as a perfect fit for travelers from the two new markets.
“The gaming, the nature, the beach, the history and the culture, and the gastronomy. It will be a very good experience for the visitors,” he said.
He expects Southwest Florida to benefit from the new air service in a big way too.
“Coastal Mississippi residents, we like to travel a lot,” he said. “Florida is one of the places Coastal Mississippi residents like to go.”
Jack Wert, executive director of the Naples, Marco Island, Everglades Convention & Visitors Bureau, said in an email that he expects the service from coastal Mississippi to have a positive impact locally.
“We do see visitation from that area seasonally and this should help,” he said. “The Sun County service from Minneapolis over the years has brought many Minnesotans to our area and based on that history the new routes should also be successful.”
Record growth
Sun Country has seen record growth over the past year and recently announced the largest network expansion in company history. The airline added new routes beyond its home base of Minneapolis/St. Paul in June 2018. The airline now offers 87 routes across 52 airports, with a nearly 40 percent growth rate in its routes over the past year.
Sun Country isn’t the only airline adding to its offerings at Southwest Florida International. Here are some other updates shared by the airport:
- United will begin twice daily Washington-Dulles service Oct. 29. This will make six year-round cities for the carrier.
- Spirit Airlines continues to grow, with plans to launch daily Indianapolis and Newark flights Nov. 14.
Nearly a dozen airlines offer round-trip, scheduled service at Southwest Florida International. One of the newest is Lufthansa Group’s Eurowings, which launched nonstop flights to and from three German airports in May 2018.
This May, Southwest Florida International saw record traffic. Nearly 726,000 passengers traveled through the airport, up 8.5% from the same months last year, according to statistics shared by the Lee County Port Authority, its operator.
Year-to-date, passenger traffic at the airport is up 9.6%, compared to the same month last year.
The traffic leader in May was Delta Air Lines with 187,907 passengers traveling to and from Fort Myers. Rounding out the top five airlines were Southwest (141,576), American (122,639), JetBlue (85,852) and United (83,586).
Southwest Florida International served nearly 9.4 million passengers in 2018 and it’s one of the top 50 U.S. airports for passenger traffic
