Change my location 
|
|
Article History There are updates to this article.
BALTIMORE (Map, News) - At this rate, the Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport might need more monitors to list flight departures.
Several airlines, including Southwest Airlines and AirTran Airways, have either added or extended services to domestic and international destinations in recent months, according to Jonathan O. Dean, communications manager for the Maryland Aviation Administration.
AirTran has been making moves in recent weeks, announcing it will continue seasonal service from BWI to Portland, Maine, until January 2008. The service launched June 7 and was expected to end Nov. 6, but the airline extended the service because of increasing demand.
AirTran also is in its first few months of offering service from BWI to Seattle. The flight is the airline’s first transcontinental service out of BWI and has been taking off since the end of May. Seattle continues to be one of the most popular destinations out of BWI, Dean said.
“We’re doing extremely well in Baltimore/Washington — we’ve built a focus city there,” said Tad Hutcheson, vice president of marketing and sales for AirTran. “We’ve had great success, and we’re adding routes where there is a demand.”
AirTran had been operating out of BWI since December 2001. During peak summer travel time, the airline schedules 45 departures from BWI, second only to Southwest, Hutcheson said.
Southwest is staying busy, resuming service from BWI to Pittsburgh in March and adding flights to Denver and Orlando in May. On Aug. 4, the airline will begin offering nonstop service to Oklahoma City and add a daily flight to and from St. Louis. Baltimore is Southwest’s fourth-largest hub.
“Baltimore is such a great city for us — it’s one of our largest operations,” said Whitney Eichinger, spokeswoman for Southwest. “The demand for service to Pittsburgh was high, so it’s great to add another destination from Baltimore.”
Additionally, since the end of May, Air Greenland has offered nonstop service from Baltimore to Greenland — the first nonstop route from the United States. The seasonal service is scheduled to operate through August.
BWI serviced more than 56,000 passengers and handled more than 800 operations per day last year. In fiscal 2006, the airport generated a $16.29 million surplus, according to the Maryland Aviation Administration.
acannarsa@baltimoreexaminer.com
 Not ranked |
 EMAIL ME THIS STORY |
ARTICLE HISTORY 
Comments from Examiner Readers
6:18 PM MST on Mon., Jul. 21, 2008 re: "Southwest still seeking partner for international service at BWI"
Report as inappropriate
7:59 AM MST on Thu., Jun. 12, 2008
re: "BWI to offer pre-registered ID check service"
Report as inappropriate
5:34 PM MST on Thu., Apr. 24, 2008
re: "Southwest still seeking partner for international service at BWI"
Report as inappropriate
12:17 AM MST on Sat., Apr. 12, 2008
re: "Southwest still seeking partner for international service at BWI"
Report as inappropriate
10:18 AM MST on Tue., Apr. 8, 2008
re: "Southwest still seeking partner for international service at BWI"
Report as inappropriate
9:50 AM MST on Tue., Apr. 8, 2008
re: "Southwest still seeking partner for international service at BWI"
Report as inappropriate
John J. Tormey III, Esq. said:
It’s now confirmed. According to a reliable source from a position high-up in the aviation community, one Robert Allan (“Bobby”) Sturgell recently verbally shared with at least two colleagues the following: (1) Sturgell has ALREADY given notice that he will be leaving his FAA post as Acting Administrator, by, or in, November 2008; and (2) Current FAA “Assistant Administrator For Regions And Center Operations” Ruth Leverenz will be “Acting” in Sturgell’s absence – (which quizzically therefore will make her the “Acting, Acting” Administrator!). This story was scooped by Quiet Rockland, and first broke Friday, July 18, 2008. As of the date and time of this publication, virtually no other news outlets or bloggers have picked it up - but they all eventually will. (Sure – Now!).
1 agree | 0 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
So if I want to fork over $100+ I can get better service from Federal employees? I like this idea. Let's start a preferred taxpayer system that let's me next next day processing of my tax return.
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
BWI, like the state of Maryland, is a backwater joke. The only reason why it has any economy is because of its proximity to DC, which it doesn't really even take advantage of, since most the state is run by Baltimore bueracrats. If Maryland were in the deep south, it would be behind Mississippi in everything. I should know, I'm from Maryland. I'm glad to be out of there. I don't even tell people I'm from there. I tell people I grew up in New Jersey.
2 agree | 1 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
John J. Tormey III, Esq. said:
Quiet Rockland Urges America To REJECT Robert A. (“Bobby”) Sturgell As FAA Administrator In the lyrics of Dewey Bunnell of the group America, from the 1971 song “Sandman”: “All the planes have been – grounded”. It’s time to bring back America. The REAL America. The FAA is more broken than the cracked airplanes it purports to regulate. FAA Head “Bobby” Sturgell is a losing legacy case – the son of J. Edgar Hoover’s personal secretary, planted years later at the FAA, an agency that the powers-that-be assumed Sturgell could never screw up. Well, that failed legacy case named “Bobby” Sturgell DID screw it all up. Big time. The United States aviation system is now at flashpoint crisis. Enter, Sandman. Quiet Rockland opposes Robert A. “Bobby” Sturgell’s confirmation as FAA Administrator. Moreover, Quiet Rockland calls for “Bobby” Sturgell’s SUMMARY REMOVAL as Acting FAA Administrator.
4 agree | 1 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
Southwest is an awesome airline. The more direct flights the better. international would be really cool if it happened. Dulles sucks.
2 agree | 5 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
It's $600 Dulles - Heathrow return or $900 BWI - LHR with BA. So why choose BWI other than for convenience. Last time I flew from the international terminal there were no restaurants or bars to eat at pre-flight.
5 agree | 5 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree