FALLS AIRPORT: Direct Air adding flights to Melbourne

Local News

November 11, 2009

Service between Falls and Florida will appeal to cruise and theme park travelers

Staff Reports The Niagara Gazette Wed Nov 11, 2009, 09:05 PM EST

Last week, Ed Warneck, president and managing partner of Direct Air, attended and spoke at a tourism summit put together by state Sen. George Maziarz whose hope is to find ways to attract more service through the Falls’ new airport terminal. As promised by Warneck during the summit, Direct Air will announce today the start of new air service from Melbourne, Fla., to Niagara Falls International Airport.

Beginning Feb. 4, Direct Air will add the new route and begin twice-a-week flights to Niagara Falls International Airport to Melbourne International Airport and then continue onto Port Charlotte Airport in Punta Gorda/Fort Myers. These flights will operate on Falcon Air MD83, 150-passenger aircraft configured with 12 first-class and 143 coach seats. In addition, non-stop flights from Niagara Falls International will continue no less than two additional days based on seasonality.

The company will begin offering airfares to Melbourne beginning at $99 each way. Direct Air plans to offer special introductory rates to all who register online a Direct Air newsletter announcing special events and sales. Tickets can be purchased by going to www.visitdirectair.com or by calling 1-877-432-DIRECT (3473).

Wednesday’s announcement is good news for the Niagara Falls airport and the region, according to Warneck.

“We are committed and focused to work together with the communities to promote the airports in a manner that maximizes its future potential to generate economic growth and opportunity,” he said.

Mayor Paul Dyster agreed.

“This new air service links two of North America’s great tourist destinations, and will open up a whole range of great opportunities to market our region’s tourism assets to a new customer base,” he said Wednesday night. “This is particularly great news because it comes at a time when we are opening a great new terminal, but the airline industry generally faces great challenges. If we can built market share now during the downturn, the sky will be the limit once the air travel industry starts to recover.”

The City of Niagara Falls has provided $1 million annually from its share of casino revenues for construction of the new airport terminal. The ribbon was cut on the new facility on Sept. 2. Change-over to use of the new facility is expected this winter.

Direct Air’s plans are synonymous with the Niagara Falls Transit Authority to reverse market from the destinations serviced by Direct Air to Niagara Falls. Its goal is to increase traffic and economic impact to the Niagara Falls community. This opportunity will soon be enhanced with the introduction of vacation packages in both directions by Direct Air. The package program is expected to begin in the first half of 2010.

Bill Vanecek,, NFTA director of aviation said, “With this addition, more flights will bring more revenue and opportunities that will mutually benefit the destinations, Direct Air, and our community.”

Direct Air currently provides non-stop service between Myrtle Beach, S.C. and Columbus, Ohio; Newark, N.J., Niagara Falls, Plattsburgh, Pittsburgh, Springfield, Ill., and Worcester, Mass. Additional cities are being considered for early 2010.

Direct Air and has carried more than 500,000 passengers since the start of operations in March 2007.

Text Only | Photo Reprints

Local News

SLIDESHOW: Memorial Day Weekend 2012 Niagara Falls celebrates Memorial Day Weekend activities on Saturday with a parade on Pine Avenue, a memorial service and viewing of the new Veterans Memorial at Hyde Park, a concert series on Old Falls Street and free boat safety inspections by the Niagara County Sheriff Department Marine Division at the City of Niagara Falls Boat Docks on Buffalo Avenue.
May 26, 2012 1 Photo
Legislation protecting Falls air base units moves forward
The effort to protect jobs at the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station got a boost from a committee in Washington, D.C. on Thursday.

May 24, 2012 1 Photo
Korean student robbed at gunpoint in Falls
Detectives are investigating the robbery of a 25-year-old woman Wednesday night in front of a motel in the 400 block of Main Street.

May 24, 2012 1 Photo
Davis will not seek Murphy removal
Lawyers for accused killer Matthew “Bones” Davis say their client will not ask to have Niagara County Court Judge Matthew J. Murphy III removed from his case.

May 24, 2012 1 Photo
Labor group laments economic development efforts
Economic development in New York state has become a joke to some in the area. And many of them are demanding changes to a process which spends approximately $3 billion a year.

May 24, 2012
Repaving work on Old Military Road rises to $790K
Sometimes a change is good. Sometimes a change is bad. For the Town of Lewiston, a change can be pretty costly.

May 24, 2012
Fifth-grader presents list of 400 names asking for new playground
A 10-year-old boy carrying a petition containing more than 400 signatures asked members of the Niagara Falls School Board on Thursday to consider building a new playground at his school.

May 24, 2012
Bomb threat leads to arrest at NT school
A North Tonawanda teen was arrested Thursday morning for sending a one-sentence bomb threat to the computer of a fellow high school student, resulting in a brief lockdown of the school.

May 24, 2012 1 Photo
Sense of resignation on AES pact
May 24, 2012
Marching to the new veterans memorial
It's the unofficial beginning of summer.

Memorial Day may mean cookouts with hot dogs and hamburgers, a trip on the river in a boat or simply a day off from work Monday.

May 24, 2012 2 Photos
More Local News Headlines

Do you think cigarette sales to non-Native American customers should be taxed on reservations?