Myrtle Beach area News

Horry County Council's Air Service Development Program Good News for Area Tourism Industry

Horry County Council has announced an incentive plan for airlines landing at the county’s Myrtle Beach International Airport (MYR). The air service development program, effective Sept. 1, 2008, through June 30, 2009, is intended to attract new air service and protect existing air service through an aggressive across-the-board reduction in airport fees.

The incentives are good news to the local tourism industry, which has advocated for a more competitive landing fee structure to promote air travel—and increase the number of visitors—to the Myrtle Beach destination. The Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce estimates that 6 percent of visitors arrive by airplane, based on its 2007 conversion study.

“The incentives provide an immediate, across-the-board reduction in fees to air carriers serving Myrtle Beach,” said Brad Dean, president and CEO, Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce. “Air carriers will welcome the financial relief, which will help retain the current service we now enjoy. We’re hopeful this could prompt a few airlines not currently flying here to give us another look.”

As part of the program, established domestic air carriers will pay a greatly reduced landing fee of $0.50 per 1,000 pounds of gross certified maximum landed weight, a 75 percent reduction from the current fee of $1.97. To promote stronger year-round service, landing fees will be waived for all regularly scheduled passenger aircraft operations for December 2008, January 2009 and February 2009, the second year of the seasonal landing fee waiver.

Incentives are being offered to new domestic markets as well. MYR will offer carriers the option of being billed at a rate of $2.00 per available seat for the common use terminal area fees and security fees associated with such eligible new service instead of being billed based on the rate formula contained in the standard air carrier agreement. This applies to newly scheduled non-stop, round-trip service between MYR and any airport where MYR is not currently served. To be eligible, the air carrier must not discontinue any service to any airport it currently serves from MYR.

To foster international travel, MYR will waive all landing fees and terminal rents for any scheduled non-stop round-trip service between the airport and any international destination, including Canada. This applies to any carrier that does not currently serve the airport with scheduled non-stop round-trip service.

“In the face of the national trend of declining air service, the county has given us ample ammunition to promote expanded air service to the area and retain current service,” said Brant Branham, chairman of the board, MBACC. “The ball is now in our court to use this as a tool to promote the Grand Strand as a destination, not just to new domestic markets but international markets as well. I applaud Horry County Council and the airport for this bold move.”

“With the intent to lure more airlines, particularly international carriers, we can do a better job of targeting our marketing efforts,” said Woody Crosby, president and CEO, Jordan Properties. “We can focus advertising dollars on promoting new routes to Myrtle Beach, complementing the efforts of the 2-for-1 state tourism grant for marketing the destination.”

For more information regarding Horry County’s air service development program, contact Lisa Bourcier, public information director, at (843) 915-5390 or bourcier@horrycounty.org.