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The Erie airport will add a route to Florida next year

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The Erie airport will add a route to Florida next year

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Erie International Airport has landed another destination in Florida.

Breeze Airways will offer seasonal twice-weekly service to Tampa beginning Jan. 8. The budget airline previously announced it would offer year-round service between Erie and Orlando starting November 6.

“Typically an airline will announce its service and see how it expands before starting another service,” the airport's chief executive, Derek Martin, said on Tuesday. “This new goal is a sign that things are going well.”

Ticket sales helped convince the airline to add a second Florida destination from Erie, said Jake Rouch, CEO of the Erie Regional Chamber and Growth Partnership. The chamber coordinates the Fly Erie Fund, a public-private partnership that raises money to incentivize airlines to operate out of Erie.

The success of Breeze's Erie-Orlando route led to the addition of Tampa

When Breeze began selling tickets for new service to Erie and four other cities in August, Erie sold out all of those markets in the first 24 hours, Rouch said.

The airline has not disclosed how many Erie-Orlando bookings have been made, but said ticket sales have been “robust,” said Martin, who also credited the airport's partnership with the Chamber and the Fly Erie Fund to launch the responsible for the new service.

The fund has so far raised about $1.1 million of its $1.5 million goal over three years, Rouch said. And the community's fundraising and commitment to expanding air service won't end there, he said.

“If the Orlando service was the first step, the Tampa service was the second step. And we won't give up until this (airport) parking lot is full, this terminal is filled and we give people the travel options they need,” Rouch said.

What days and times is Erie-Tampa service available?

Erie-Tampa service is expected to be offered on Wednesdays and Saturdays through May, Martin said. Departure time from Erie is 7:41 p.m., arrival in Tampa is 10:26 p.m

The service will take place on board Airbus A220-300 jets with 137 seats. Prices for a one-way trip start at $69.

The new Tampa destination will be a boon not only for leisure travelers, but also because of its closer proximity to the LECOM campus in Bradenton, Fla., and the Gannon University campus in Ruskin, Fla., Rouch said.

Erie-Orlando service also operates twice weekly, on Wednesdays and Saturdays. This service is offered all year round.

Coming soon: Breeze Airways offers flights from Erie to Orlando

Contact Valerie Myers at [email protected].

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