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 Myrtle Beach Lands Flights To Nine Cities

Myrtle Beach has landed nonstop flights to nine destinations this summer, including several cities in Ohio, West Virginia and Tennessee.

Vision Airlines, an 18-year-old air carrier, will start serving Myrtle Beach with flights to four cities in Ohio -- Cincinnati, Cleveland, Toledo and Columbus; Indianapolis; Louisville; Nashville; Springfield, Ill., and Clarksburg, W.Va., the carrier announced Thursday. The non-stop flights on 737 jet service will run from May 31 to Oct. 31.

The boost in flights comes as airlines traditionally ramp up for the busy summer travel season and in the wake of the demise of Direct Air, a Myrtle Beach-based carrier with popular flights to Columbus and six other cities from Myrtle Beach that is in Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation. Spirit Airlines, which carries half the passengers annually in Myrtle Beach, announced last week it would fly more frequently to two of its destinations - Niagara Falls, N.Y., and Plattsburgh, N.Y. The flights will run three times a week instead of just two.
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Vision Airlines, which used to provide service to Direct Air and is owed money by the now defunct carrier, was lured to Myrtle Beach by its strong tourism industry, with 14 million vacationers coming here a year, Vision spokeswoman Gini Strobel said. Direct Air’s demise wasn’t a factor in the decision to start service in Myrtle Beach, she said, though Vision Airlines did pick up some former Direct Air flights in other cities, including routes between Illinois and Florida.

“There is a lot of demand for travel to Myrtle Beach,” Strobel said. “Myrtle Beach is a great destination. It just seems like a great fit.

“We have our own strategy. We just look for top leisure destinations.”

Vision worked with the Myrtle Beach International Airport in picking the destinations, aiming to make it easier for tourists to get here without the long drive, Strobel said. It also gives locals a chance to visit friends and relatives in those cities, she said.

“We are confident they will work out,” Strobel said.

Vision and the Myrtle Beach airport have been working out details about the carrier starting service here for about a year, airport spokeswoman Lauren Morris said, adding that the airport is continuously looking to add capacity.

“We think that they picked some great markets - I’d say that the Ohio routes will be huge -- but that overall we are excited to welcome them all,” she said. “We’ve been in talks with Vision for about a year and adding the additional service has always been our priority. It’s always about reaching new and different potential visitors and getting them to experience Myrtle Beach as a great destination.”

Fares start at $109 in some markets.

-Myrtle Beach Online