The Tallahassee airport is now offering direct flights to Fort Lauderdale.
Passengers can hitch a ride south on Silver Airways, and the airport is trying to attract more business with a new international designation. City Commissioner Scott Maddox says he hopes the new designation will drive more traffic—and ultimately more options for passengers—to the city.
“If we can attract private flights that come from outside of the country, they can come to Tallahassee—or cargo...9.5 million lbs. of cargo go through the airport each year—if we get more of that coming from outside the country into Tallahassee, we can lower the landing fees, and by lowering the cost of the airport, we can attract more carriers that go more places for lower fares," he says.
Flying into, and out of the city has been difficult since a gift ban on public officials took effect. Tallahassee, the state capital—is home to lobbyists, and state workers—industries that rely on the airport to get around the state. The ban affected demand on flights--leading to an exodus of carriers, and the city has been trying to lure them back for the past 10 years.
The airport is nearing completion on renovations, including a revamped runway.
