FLORENCE, S.C. (WBTW)-Perhaps good news for those of you who fly out of Florence. The Pee Dee regional airport authority board voted this week to meet with a consulting company to help Florence regional airport expand its airline services. Right now travelers only have the option of taking one airline to one destination and that’s in Charlotte. Travelers say a second airline would help because, they say, travel in and out of this airport isn’t always reliable.
“When you fly out of Florence you’re a little unsure if the flight is actually going to leave,” said Tim Hagen.
Tim Hagen lives in Florence and travels often. But he says he hasn’t always had the best of luck coming or going, and neither have his guests.
“Our daughter’s boyfriend shows up, they then cancelled his flight so we then scrambled to pick him up. He ends up flying to Myrtle Beach, we go pick him up in Myrtle beach.”
But his misfortune didn’t end there.
“Our son’s girlfriend, she’s supposed to fly into Florence they decided the weight was wrong and so three people got picked, she was the smallest, she ended up flying so I ended up driving to Myrtle Beach twice that afternoon and evening.”
Right now, Florence has only one airline provider and many travelers told us they try to avoid the Florence airport because they say it’s unreliable. That has members of the Pee Dee regional airport authority board upset.
“It hurts the economy probably several ways but particularly with the airport, you don’t have the revenue generated from car rentals, you don’t have the revenue generated from parking, you don’t have the revenue generated from fuel sales,” said board member Buzz Rogers.
That is why board members want to add a second airline. Their goal is to get Delta to service Florence again.
“People knowing they can get in and out, they have good flight connections, that has to impact hotels, restaurants, meeting facilities,” said Rogers.
And travelers say having options wouldn’t be a bad thing.
“If you now have Charlotte and Atlanta as options you’re connected with the rest of the world and that would be the key for Florence. To get connected with the rest of the world,” said Hagen.
Board members say they will meet with the consulting company at the beginning of April. They would like to get Delta airlines servicing Florence as soon as possible.