April 02--GULFPORT -- Travel picks up in South Mississippi in the spring and summer and to compensate, airlines are adding more flights and larger planes at Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport.
On Monday, Delta Airlines added a later flight from Gulfport to Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport on a 50-seat regional jet. Six flights a day on Delta to Atlanta now begin at 6 a.m. and continue to leave South Mississippi through 6:45 p.m.
"Spring and summer are the busiest travel seasons for the Mississippi Gulf Coast," said Clay Williams, airport director. He said the added flights and bigger planes give the airport extra capacity and passengers added convenience.
Beginning today, American Airlines is going from four to five daily flights serving Dallas-Fort Worth International, Williams said.
US Airways passengers flying to the hub in Charlotte, N.C., will ride larger jets. The airline is replacing two of its 50-seat planes to Charlotte Douglas International Airport with 67-seat regional jets for the season.
Williams said the airport got a boost from the Feb. 3 Super Bowl in New Orleans. He said the number of people flying out of Gulfport was down 2.4 percent compared to February 2012.
It's too soon to know if the Federal Aviation Administration's closing of the control tower at Stennis International Airport will result in more planes landing at Gulfport. Williams said private planes will continue to fly into Stennis but some companies may want to use an airport with an FAA tower and fly into Gulfport or New Orleans.
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