Spirit Airlines will resume daily flights next week from Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in Unity to Florida.
That announcement is expected to help reverse financial losses that began last fall amid a reduced flight schedule as the facility’s lone commercial carrier worked through bankruptcy concerns.
“This will help,” said Westmoreland County Airport Authority Executive Director Gabe Monzo of Spirit’s decision to restore the daily flights. Spirit cut back its flight schedule last fall, operating just four weekly flights to Orlando while suspending its seasonal flights to Myrtle Beach.
The airline announced last month that it would resume daily flights to the South Carolina tourist town starting May 7. Daily round trip flights to Orlando will resume Feb. 17, according to the Spirit’s online schedule.
The airport authority experienced about $600,000 in financial losses last year as the number of flights and passengers that flew in and out of the Unity facility dropped to the lowest level in more than a decade, excluding covid-ravaged 2020, which saw worldwide travel restrictions.
Officials said just 145,000 passengers came through the airport in 2024. Passenger totals continued to struggle in January when just 5,800 travelers passed through the gates, the lowest performance month for the airport since January 2021.
Monzo said the reduced passenger totals resulted in monthly operating deficits of about $15,000 for the authority.
The renewed flight schedule is expected to reverse those financial trends, he said.
Meanwhile, the airport authority could look to widen its appeal.
Board member Rich Pologruto on Tuesday called for the authority to expand its advertising efforts to lure more passengers.
“I don’t think our constituents are aware of what we do here and I don’t think our message is getting out,” Pologruto said, noting he has seen advertisements for nearby John Murtha Johnstown-Cambria County Airport, which operates daily flights to Chicago and Washington.
Westmoreland County’s airport authority allocates $8,000 annually for advertising.
“We have a sign out front and we depend on Spirit to do the advertising for themselves. If the board wants to do more advertising, I’ll do the research,” Monzo said.
Monzo said the the county air show serves as the airport’s primary method of public exposure. Plans for a potential air show this year are being finalized, he said.