Sunday, Nov. 01, 2009

Officials near on deal for new airline in Myrtle Beach

The Myrtle Beach International Airport may soon gain a new air carrier and nonstop international flight, officials say.

Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce and airport representatives are in final negotiations with Toronto, Ontario-based Porter Airlines to begin offering a nonstop flight from the Toronto Island Airport to Myrtle Beach next year, said Brad Dean, president and CEO of the chamber.

The airport has not offered non-stop service to an international destination since Hooters Air, which offered a flight to Nassau, Bahamas, ended service in Myrtle Beach in 2006.

"From our perspective, the Toronto area is a great market," Dean said. "It's certainly a growth opportunity for the destination."

There are a substantial of number of Canadians visitors that come to the area each year, but many drive, and those who don't drive usually fly through connecting service or drive to Niagara Falls and fly out of there, Dean said.

"We've been meeting on and off for over a year with the hopes of luring them to Myrtle Beach and hopefully sometime soon, they'll commit to our area," he said.

Robert Deluce, president and chief executive of Porter Airlines, said he's been encouraged by the discussions with Myrtle Beach officials and looks forward to a conclusion.

"For us, it represents a unique opportunity to provide some of our passengers with a new destination that offers quite a few things that we normally don't experience, including access to beach and golf," he said. "Canadians love Myrtle Beach and Myrtle Beach has been an attractive place for quite a long time."

The contract and insurance forms must first be signed before the deal is official, said Kent Myers, president of AirPlanners, a company who is working with the Myrtle Beach airport and chamber officials. AirPlanners is a Colorado-based consulting firm that works to hook up small- to medium-size cities - many of which are resort areas - with new air service.

"That's only the beginning, and where we take this is really up to the community. It really gives the community the ability to have a brand new market," Myers said. "There's a lot of Canadians that come here, but here all of sudden, it's going to be two hours away."

The inaugural flight is scheduled for Feb. 28, he said.

To have Porter Airlines flying into Myrtle Beach would be a "feather in the hat" for Myrtle Beach and for the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce, said Myrtle Beach Mayor John Rhodes.

"To have that connection from Toronto to Myrtle Beach would be great. The Canadians have always been a great business to Myrtle Beach, and if we can have something that would make it easier for them to get here, and affordable, I think we're going to see a tremendous impact."

Horry County Council Chairwoman Liz Gilland said she is "absolutely thrilled."

"The only thing they have to do is sign the dotted line," she said. "This is huge."

This international flight will save time, the frustration of having to change planes and save money, because many times, direct flights are less expensive, Gilland said.

If everything goes as planned, travelers should be able to book flights between Myrtle Beach International Airport and Toronto Island Airport online by Nov. 9, Myers said. He declined to say how many times a week or day the flight would be available.

Porter Airlines was founded in 2006. It serves eight Canadian cities and has service to Chicago, New York and Boston.

About 852,400 Canadians visited South Carolina in 2007, according to the most recent statewide data from the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism.