Macon airport will soon have flights to a major Florida destination. What to know

The Middle Georgia Regional Airport will soon offer flights to Fort Lauderdale, airport officials announced Thursday.

Spirit Airlines will offer flights to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport starting Oct. 16, Macon-Bibb County Aviation Director Doug Faour confirmed in a news conference.

This is an important part of the Macon airport’s efforts to fully return commercial air service, officials said Thursday. Faour said the efforts started in 2017 by partnering with Contour Airlines to increase the number of commercial passengers coming through the airport from 890 to 17,000. The airport also increased its charters, and now they’ve brought in a popular affordable carrier that’s taking passengers to a popular destination.

Spirit will fly passengers to Fort Lauderdale on an Airbus A320 family aircraft, which features 176 seats.

“This is our first low cost carrier. It is the largest scheduled aircraft without operating out of this airport, and to my knowledge, it’s the first non stop scheduled service,” Faour said.

Special introductory fares will start at $49.99. Fort Lauderdale was chosen as a destination in part due to cost and convenience, as well as strong cruise ship connections. From Fort Lauderdale, people can connect to many other destinations throughout Florida and beyond. Mayor Lester Miller encourages travelers to book now in order to unlock more travel destinations in the future.

“South Florida has consistently been one of the most popular destinations for travelers in our region, and we’re excited to offer nonstop service to this top destination through Spirit Airlines,” Faour said. “This new route reflects our ongoing commitment to providing convenient and affordable travel options for the communities we serve.”

The airport is also still working on expansion, with a guitar-shaped terminal in the works to honor Macon’s musical heritage. The terminal will feature a restaurant, a conference room, an event lawn and extra space for visitors. A 600-foot runway extension is also in the works.

“The runway extension is important for a variety of reasons, such for larger aircraft to take off and land at MCN with full payloads,” Faour said. “It has also made us more attractive for commercial airline service to other destinations and increased air-service charter opportunities to other destinations.”