The Arnold Palmer Regional Airport is about to get busier with more Spirit Airlines flights coming and going, the TribLive reports.
According to the report, service from Latrobe to Orlando will expand to seven days a week beginning February 12th, and flights to Myrtle Beach, S.C. will return to Mondays and Fridays.
Beginning in March, there will be daily flights to Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, and Myrtle Beach, with a twice-weekly flight going to Fort Myers, FL.
"This is marvelous news," said airport authority Executive Director Gabe Monzo. "Like most, we have certainly had our share of trials and tribulations. But we kept our head down and we kept plowing forward, and it's now looking like that effort and attitude is beginning to pay off."
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Arnold Palmer airport saw a severe downturn of air traffic in 2020 with outgoing passengers plummeting from 155,905 in 2019 to 62,670 in 2002. Incoming travel went from 309,817 in 2019 to 123,511 in 2020.
The airport kept busy during the year by focusing on multiple projects, including a runway widening and expanding the passenger holding room by adding more seats.
"We did everything we could envision to make sure that people working in the terminal and passengers coming through were protected and as safe as possible," Monzo said. "This was uncharted territory for all of us, but we got through it and will continue to keep safety at the forefront."
"We saw these projects through to fruition to make this facility ready when people were ready to come back to fly," he said. "And now it's looking like they are."
"We're very excited and we appreciate Spirit's enthusiasm," Monzo said. "Perhaps our improvements are paying dividends. This should fill the parking lots again."
