A new airline is in town and is here to stay

SALISBURY, Md. — A new airline is landing at Salisbury Regional Airport, offering a new route to Orlando.

County Executive Julie Giordano said, “Breeze has joined us and we are so happy that they are here, and it will be a direct flight from here to Orlando, but more importantly, Orlando to here.”

Giordano said the goal is to bring more tourism to the shore and keep more people flying in and out of Salisbury. “A lot of people were driving to Baltimore because they want to take those cheaper Southwest flights. And so we’re talking now — it was about only 14% who would fly out of here,” Giordano said.

With more travelers using the airport, county officials reflected on the work that went into the project. Wicomico County Council President John T. Cannon said, “This has been a long time coming. It’s been a really long time coming. People don’t realize what it takes, especially when you have to involve the federal government in regard to aviation. So it’s a lot of boxes that have to be checked, but it got done. Plus, it had to be a lot of cooperation from members of the community.”

Bill Chambers, president and CEO of the Salisbury Area Chamber of Commerce, said it took teamwork: “Working with the airport officials on the FAA new air service grant, then getting all of our partners from Ocean City and Worcester County, Wicomico County, so many businesses that believed that this was the beginning of something special for our region — not only for our business community, but for our citizens. But really what’s key in this is the travelers that will be coming to our area from Florida.”

It took two years to bring Breeze Airways to Salisbury, and leaders hope the new route will help the shore soar.

“We are hoping that some of that tourism for golf and things like that and drawing them to our beaches will happen as well. So it’s a very exciting time in Wicomico County,” Giordano said.

There are already conversations about more destinations to come. Chambers said, “We’re hoping, like so many other cities that Breeze Airways serves, they’ll add additional cities out of Salisbury, whether it be in Florida, other locations in the Southeast or maybe New Orleans or Phoenix. And who knows? But we’re looking forward to supporting Breeze Airways.”

Breeze airlines has prices starting at 69-dollars for a direct flight to Orlando.