Direct Air Announces Bigger Expansion at Melbourne
Business and community leaders cheer the addition of not one but three new destinations at Melbourne International Airport.
Melbourne, FL (PRWEB) November 12, 2009 -- To the applause of more than 150 business and community leaders gathered this morning at Melbourne International Airport, fast-growing carrier Direct Air announced a major expansion in service with an array of new flights from Melbourne to Washington, D.C., Niagara Falls and Punta Gorda.
Direct Air CEO/Managing Partner Judy Tull speaks Thursday morning to more than 150 business and community leaders about a major expansion of service to Melbourne International Airport
Beginning January 11, Direct Air* will offer 12 roundtrip flights a week – twice daily except for Tuesdays — to Washington Dulles International Airport. On February 4, the airline also will launch twice-weekly flights to Niagara Falls International Airport and to Charlotte County Airport in Punta Gorda, Fla., according to Direct Air CEO/Managing Partner Judy Tull. Prior to today, the airline had announced only the new flights to Dulles.
“Direct Air recognizes the benefits and amenities that Melbourne and our airport offer,” said Melbourne International Airport Executive Director Richard Ennis, CPFO. “As the overall economy and airline industry rebound, we hope to see more routes opened and more airline partners join the Melbourne family.”
Tull agreed. “Direct Air has built a strong niche service in developing, secondary airports,” she said at this morning’s breakfast meeting, sponsored by Space Coast Business Media Group. “We’re confident that we can build popular flights from Melbourne International Airport with our service featuring nonstop flights, low fares and convenient departure times.”
Direct Air’s flights to Dulles will provide a major resource to business travelers along the Space Coast, Ennis said. A number of major defense- and technology-related businesses in the region, such as Northrop Grumman and Harris Corp., work on government contracts that require travel to the Washington, D.C., area.
Fares to Dulles – aboard a 105-passenger USA Jet DC-9 aircraft – will begin at $99 each way. The airline plans to offer special introductory rates to all who register online for Direct Air’s newsletter. Tickets can be purchased through www.visitdirectair.com or by calling (877) 432-DIRECT (3473). The flights will have one class of seating.
The two Dulles flights will depart Melbourne at 7:15 a.m. and 4:40 p.m. and arrive in Washington, D.C. at 9:25 a.m. and 6:40 p.m. respectively. Return flights will depart Washington, D.C. at 10:15 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. and arrive in Melbourne at 12:25 p.m. and 9:40 p.m. respectively.
Direct Air’s twice-weekly flights to Niagara Falls International Airport and Charlotte County Airport in Punta Gorda/Ft. Myers will operate on a 155-passenger Falcon Air MD83 aircraft configured with 12 first-class and 143 coach seats.
Flights to Niagara Falls will depart Melbourne at 8:45 a.m. and arrive in Niagara Falls at 11:15 a.m. on Thursdays and Sundays. Return flights will depart Niagara Falls at noon and arrive in Melbourne at 2:40 p.m.
Flights to Punta Gorda will depart Melbourne at 3:15 p.m. and arrive in Punta Gorda at 4 p.m. on Thursdays and Sundays. Flights to Melbourne from Punta Gorda will leave at 7:30 a.m. and arrive at 8:15 a.m. on Thursdays and Sundays.
Based on a conservative load factor of 70 percent, the new flights will account for more than 135,000 passengers annually flying to and from Melbourne International, pumping more than $49 million into the local economy.**
Direct Air, based in Myrtle Beach, S.C., has carried more than 500,000 passengers since the start of operations in March 2007.
About Melbourne International Airport
Melbourne International Airport currently serves more than 300,000 passengers annually in east Central Florida, including Brevard, Indian River and St. Lucie counties, and is responsible for generating more than $1 billion per year in economic activity. The airport, which has three runways and a 200,000-square-foot terminal, currently serves Delta Air Lines, Delta Connection and Baer Air. For more information, visit http://www.mlbair.com.
*Flights are Public Charters operated by USA Jet, Falcon Air, and XTra Airways. Advertised airfares are one-way and include Federal Excise Tax of 7.5%. Airfares do not include September 11th Security Fees of $2.50 per person, Federal Flight Segment Taxes of $3.50 per person, Passenger Facility Charges (PFC) of up to $4.50 per person, and Convenience Fees of $10 per person per flight segment. A flight segment is defined as one take-off and one landing. Bookings made by visiting a Myrtle Beach Direct Air ticket counter location will not be assessed the Convenience Fee. For reservations made by calling (877) 432-DIRECT, a $2.00 per person Reservations Department Fee will apply. Advance seat selection prior to departure requires a $5.00 service charge per person per flight segment. Fares subject to availability at time of booking, and are subject to change. A Standard Baggage Service Fee will apply for carriage of all checked luggage; surcharges may apply for excess/overweight checked baggage. See Direct Air’s Operator-Participant Agreement for full disclosures.
** Economic impact based on 68,432 arrivals and the Space Coast Office of Tourism’s Randall Report, which estimates that the average Brevard County visitor stays six days and spends $120 a day, not including lodging.
CONTACT: Lori Booker, 407-834-7777 (24 hours)
407-579-5674 (cell)
lcbooker (at) cbrpr (dot) com
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