WICOMICO COUNTY, Md. -- Leaders in Wicomico County say promising times lie ahead at Salisbury Regional Airport, driven by several ongoing projects and the expansion of commercial air service.
Airport officials say excitement is building as Breeze Airways prepares to add more flights out of Salisbury, offering travelers additional options to Florida and potentially beyond.
"I think we're in a good position right now," said Airport Director Tony Rudy. "This has taken several years to get to where we are now, several years of planning and executing that plan."
A major piece of that plan is a runway extension project, which Rudy said is expected to be completed by the end of the year. Once finished, the runway will measure 7,600 feet.
"What that does is, it helps out Piedmont immediately with the aircraft they fly here to be able to get a full load of passengers to Charlotte," said Rudy.
Another key development came in October, when Breeze Airways launched direct flights from Salisbury to Orlando. Rudy said passenger numbers grew as the year went on.
"They[Breeze Airways] started off a little slow in October, but it's typically a slow travel month. But November, December picked up, so they're happy, which makes up happy," he said.
Beginning in April, Breeze will increase service to three flights per week. Currently, flights to Orlando operate only on Mondays and Fridays. The airline plans to add Wednesday flights as well.
Bill Chambers, Executive Director of the Salisbury Chamber of Commerce, said he hopes the additional service will continue to be supported by travelers.
"I hope that will be supported the way the first two flights have been supported. And maybe we'll see Breeze add another Florida destination in the coming year," said Chambers.
Airport officials say the momentum doesn’t stop there. Looking ahead, the airport has several more projects in the works. Among the biggest planned improvements is an expansion of the airport’s current parking lot.