"Myrtle Beach, S.C., wins with Spirit Airlines in flights to Washington airport"

Tuesday, August 10, 2004

Myrtle Beach, S.C., wins with Spirit Airlines in flights to Washington
airport
The Myrtle Beach (SC) Sun News


Myrtle Beach and Spirit Airlines are the winners in a highly competitive
match among airports for two available slots at Washington-Reagan
International Airport.

The new service brings the first daily, non-stop flights to the nation's
capital from Myrtle Beach.

US Airways currently offers weekend flights to Washington and Hooters
flies five times a week to nearby Baltimore.

Airports in Jackson, Miss., and Des Moines, Iowa, also were vying for
the DC slots, one landing and one departure time.

"This was intensely competitive amongst various markets," said Brad
Dean, president of the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce. "I think
it solidifies the area as a major destination with great potential for
growth in air service. A few years ago, we were starving for service to
the D.C. area. Now, between Spirit, United and Hooters Air, we'll have
great potential to grow the market."

Spirit's expansion in the Myrtle Beach market comes just weeks after
United Airlines announced it will begin non-stop service between Myrtle
Beach and Chicago as well as Washington-Dulles. Those flights are set to
launch in February.

Even without the new flights, the number of boarding passengers at
Myrtle Beach International Airport jumped last month by more than 18
percent from July 2003.

Year-to-date, the number of boarding passengers at the airport is up
more than 26 percent.

"Last month was an extremely strong month for us," Kemp said.

US Airways was the strongest carrier at the airport in July, boarding
22,705 passengers. Spirit was the second-busiest carrier, with 19,862
boarding passengers in July.

Atlantic Southeast Airlines, a Delta connector, boarded 10,057
passengers.

Myrtle Beach International Airport had the largest percent age of growth
in boarding passengers in the state last year. At year's end the airport
trailed the state's second-busiest airport, Greenville Spartanburg
International, by little more than 9,000 passengers.

Planning is ongoing for a new airport terminal, scheduled to open in
2007.

The new non-stop flights to Washington, D.C., on Spirit and United
Airlines are a major addition to Myrtle Beach International, which
currently offers flights to D.C. only on weekends.

Spirit has not yet announced schedules and fares for its flights, but
service is expected to launch before Oct. 31, said Loren Fisher, a
spokeswoman for Spirit.

It will take slots which were given up at Washington-Reagan by Midwest
Airlines.

The U.S. Dept. of Transportation controls the number of planes using
Washington-Reagan and had to approve the next airline that would use the
slots.

"Those slots were designed for a small community, and in national terms,
we're a small community," Kemp said. "Obviously, we competed very
successfully against the other cities."

The airport and the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce, along with
area businesses and local and state lawmakers, urged DOT to consider
Myrtle Beach for the slots.

Letters were sent to DOT Secretary Norman Mineta from Gov. Mark Sanford,
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, Democrat Senator Fritz Hollings, and
from Congressmen Henry Brown, R-Hanahan, and James Clyburn, D-S.C.

"The lack of convenient, daily nonstop service to Washington was a
glaring gap in Myrtle Beach's air service," Sen. Graham said.

Sen. Hollings called tourism the "lifeblood" of the Grand Strand.

Golf marketing organization Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday also sent a letter
to DOT.

"Any time we can get these destinations with an airline like this, it
just helps us market Myrtle Beach as a destination," said Mickey
McCamish, president of Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday.

McCamish said the D.C. area is in the top five markets that feed golfers
to Grand Strand courses.

"This service connects the nation's capital to the golf capital,"
McCamish said.

Dean, of the Chamber, said the new flights would help attract
conventions and meetings from the D.C. area as well as leisure
travelers.

"The association market in that area is huge," Dean said.

"When you're seeing daily service, that puts you in a whole different
category."


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