Northwest Florida air service set to grow from DC area in 2010

October 31, 3:37 PMDC Airlines/Airport ExaminerIan Fitzpatrick

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United Express to NW Florida (Photo: AP/Damian Dovarganes)

United Express adds Pensacola nonstops from Dulles; Southwest planning service to Panama City

Northwest Florida may become the next battleground for legacy and low-cost carriers.  By next spring, DC area travelers may have no less than four daily nonstops from which to choose from Washington-Dulles (IAD) and BWI-Marshall to Pensacola and Panama City respectively.

United Airlines will fire the first salvo in the battle for northwest Florida.  Beginning February 11, 2010, United Express, with an assist from its regional airline partner, Mesa Airlines, will launch double daily nonstop service from Dulles to Pensacola’s Gulf Coast Regional Airport (PNS).  The flights will operate using 50-seat Bombardier CRJ’s.

The morning IAD-PNS flight will leave Dulles at 8:45am and arrive at Pensacola at 10:18am.  The evening flight will leave Dulles at 5:15pm and arrive at PNS at 6:48pm.  PNS-IAD flights will leave Pensacola at 8:10am and 12:30pm and arrive at Dulles at 11:19am and 3:39pm, respectively.

Not to be outdone, Southwest Airlines will inaugurate service to the new Northwest Florida - Panama City International Airport starting May 2010.  Southwest has indicated that its initial flight schedule will offer twice daily nonstop service to four yet-to-be-named cities, for a total of eight nonstops from Panama City.  It is anticipated that BWI-Marshall will be one of the airports Southwest will serve when it announces the four cities in December.

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