Delta to Offer New Flights on Larger Jets out of Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport (ECP)

Delta to Offer New Flights on Larger Jets out of Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport (ECP)

by murray balkcom

Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport (ECP) will service not only Bay County, Walton County, and Okaloosa County, but it will service all of Northwest Florida. The Northwest Florida Transportation Authority (NFTCA), created by the 2005 Florida Legislature, has created a master plan for future roadways connecting the new Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport (ECP) to all of northwest Florida, including a direct road to South Walton (Walton County, FL), most likely cutting through land currently owned by St Joe, near their development, WaterSound. Click here to see the >>> 2009 NFTCA Master Plan<<<. At this link, you can see maps of planned roadways, detailed descriptions of locations of projects, estimated costs of each project, and a priortiy list of each proposed road project. Many people are working hard behind the scenes to connect all of northwest Florida to this airport.

Panama City, Florida news outlets are reporting that Delta Airlines has announced that it will add McDonnell Douglass MD-88 jets (seating capacity of 142) to it’s existing line up of smaller commuter jets offered via Delta’s connector service (Atlantic Southeast Airlines), which flies Bombardier Canadair jets with seating capacity of 50-70 people. The news clips hint that Atlanta and Memphis may be the targeted cities for these two additional daily flights, but their reports do not sound as though there has been any official press release at this time with the targeted cities. With two months and 26 days until the expected opening (May 23, 2010), we may hear even more announcements before the grand opening. St Joe officials indicated to me that prior to the opening, the airport is hoping to announce seasonal flights to Canada, and perhaps a direct flight to London, though there is much work to be done to create those flights, and they may not happen. St Joe representatives sounded hopeful, but not certain.

Recently announced, Southwest Airlines will be offering discounted direct flights to Nashville, TN, Orlando, FL, Houston, TX, and Baltimore, MD from the new Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport (ECP) which will add competitive pressure to Delta. As competition between the two companies increases, perhaps we, the travelers, will be rewarded through more competitive pricing, services, flight schedules and destinations.