MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WBTW) – The Myrtle Beach (MYR) airport prepares for another year of growth providing more direct connections, expanding operations, and meeting traveler’s demands with popular accommodations.
The addition of three new nonstop routes, Providence, Knoxville, and Elmira, comes days after the airport announced its record-breaking travel year, flying over 2.6 million passengers.
The Director of Airport Service and Business, Kirk Lovell, tells News13 recent trends to show the number of locals flying out of MYR is increasing at a faster rate than inbound travel.
“While inbound travel counts for the majority of passenger traffic, the local volume of traffic going out is increasing significantly and that’s because of the nonstop markets that the airlines are adding, they are the markets people want to fly to,” Lovell said.
To keep up with the growing number of travelers, the airport is looking to undergo several renovation projects, including taxiway advancements and expanding ramp areas where aircraft is parked and unloaded.
The demand for travel in and out Myrtle Beach has steadily increased at an average annual rate of 10% since 2012, as well as the number of plane tickets purchased during the summer and shoulder months.
According to statistics from MYR Airline Stats, passenger counts during summer months have nearly doubled since 2012. The average shoulder season has seen growth between 65 and 75 percent over the last eight years.
As routes and markets expand, there is a lot of competition when it comes to travel.
“We are always working with the carriers presenting business cases on why they should add more nonstop markets. There is a lot of competition out there so we remain aggressive and are fortunate to continue adding markets,” Lovell said.
The chosen markets for nonstop flights come as demand for these areas are extremely strong and tak into consideration business and economic opportunity.
The MYR expansion continues into 2020 as tickets are available for recent nonstop flights additions that will run twice a week beginning in June into late August, and may expand into the shoulder season as these locations.
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