More flights will depart Arnold Palmer airport for Myrtle Beach

Dec. 14--While Arnold Palmer Regional Airport tallied a record number of passengers this year, officials are expecting even more in 2012 after flagship carrier Spirit Airlines announced it would add more flights to Myrtle Beach, S.C.

Gabe Monzo, executive director of the Westmoreland County Airport Authority, announced on Tuesday that the Unity airport has served 60,000 passengers in 2011, setting a record. The increased numbers came after Spirit Airlines, a discount airline, began serving the airport near Latrobe in February with nonstop flights to and from Fort Lauderdale four days a week. They also offer seasonal service to Myrtle Beach beginning in May and ending last month.

"This is the highest number we've ever done," Monzo said.

Monzo, however, hopes the record doesn't last.

Because of the success of the Myrtle Beach flights, Spirit announced it will begin offering trips in and out of Arnold Palmer seven days a week from June until early September, Monzo said. It will still offer four flights per week in May, October and early November.

"This is more good news for us," Monzo said, adding that the airline will have an extra month of flights in 2012 compared to this year. "We're anticipating more (passengers)."

Authority Co-Chairman Donal Rossi said not only did the number of passengers this year take the airport operators by surprise, but they exceeded the expectations of Spirit officials.

"They definitely didn't expect to have 3,000 people a month use their air facilities," Rossi said. "With US Airways, we had 18,000 (passengers per year), with Northwest, we had 12,000. We're over 60,000 with Spirit in 10 months."

Spirit Airlines manager Jeff Minkovich, who could not be reached for comment, said in August that Spirit will explore offering flights to other destinations from the Unity airport.

"Looking to the future, some (flight) dates will change, and we're hoping some new services will be put in those dates," Minkovich said during the August airport authority meeting.

Monzo added, "that door is still open," but he has yet to hear from the airline.

"It is a great time for the airport," Monzo said. "We feel very fortunate to be able to provide this service to the community. Spirit has stood up and marketed in the way that it needed to be done. We're extremely pleased."

Rossi took Monzo's enthusiasm a bit further.

"To me, this is the greatest thing that's happened to the airport," Rossi said. "We didn't go out and search for Spirit. They were looking for a place to build a business, and we were looking to build our airport. ... Everything is just going great."

Copyright 2011 - Tribune-Review, Greensburg, Pa.