Erie airport to add route to Florida next year

Erie International Airport has landed another destination in Florida.

Breeze Airways will offer twice-weekly seasonal service to Tampa beginning January 8. The low-cost carrier previously announced year-round Erie-Orlando service starting Nov. 6.

“Usually an airline will announce its service and see how it ramps up before starting another service,” airport executive director Derek Martin said Tuesday. “This new destination is a sign that things are going well.”

Ticket sales helped convince the airline to add a second Florida destination from Erie, said Jake Rouch, CEO of the Erie Regional Chamber and Growth Partnership. The Chamber coordinates the Fly Erie Fund, a public-private partnership raising money to incentivize airlines to operate from Erie.

The success of Breeze’s Erie-Orlando route led to the addition of Tampa

When Breeze began selling tickets for new service to Erie and four other cities in August, Erie sold more than all of those markets in the first 24 hours, Rouch said.

The airline did not disclose how many Erie-Orlando reservations were made but said ticket sales have been “robust,” said Martin, who also credited the airport’s partnership with the Chamber and the Fly Erie Fund for helping launch the new service. .

The fund has so far raised about $1.1 million of its $1.5 million committed goal over three years, Rouch said. And fundraising and community engagement for expanding air service won’t stop there, he said.

“If service to Orlando was stop one, service to Tampa was stop two. And we won’t stop until we fill this (airport) parking lot, fill this terminal and provide the travel options that people need,” Rouch said.

What days and times will Erie-Tampa service be available?

Erie-Tampa service will be offered Wednesdays and Saturdays, probably through May, Martin said. Departure time from Erie will be 7:41 p.m. and arrival in Tampa at 10:26 p.m.

The service will be provided on board Airbus A220-300 with 137 seats. One-way fares start at $69.

The new Tampa destination will be a boon not only for vacationers, but also because of its proximity to LECOM’s campus in Bradenton, Fla., and Gannon University’s campus in Ruskin, Fla., Rouch said.

Erie-Orlando service will also be offered twice a week, on Wednesdays and Saturdays. This service will be offered all year round.

Future: Breeze Airways will offer flights from Erie to Orlando

Contact Valerie Myers at [email protected].