CENTRE COUNTY– State College and surrounding area residents may soon have the ability to fly directly from the State College Regional Airport to the Orlando International Airport (MCO).

The Chamber of Business and Industry of Centre County (CBICC) and the Happy Valley Adventure Bureau (HVAB) recently informed their community of a “promising new airline carrier,” known as Breeze Airways, that is actively considering bringing service to the State College Regional Airport.

In a joint statement from the CBICC and the HVAB, they shared, “Our community is initially seeking direct flights from State College to Orlando International Airport (MCO) twice weekly, with the possibility of additional flights to Orlando or other sought-after destinations in the near future. This effort is part of a broader initiative in alignment with Centre County’s Economic Development Strategic Plan to expand regional air service.”

President of the CBICC, Greg Scott, noted, “As community conveners, CBICC and the Happy Valley Adventure Bureau are working to gather support for potential flight service to Florida – a highly sought-after route in our area. In the coming weeks, we’ll be sharing the data we’ve collected with the airport so that they can continue communicating to airlines that there is a strong desire for flights from State College to Florida, with the numbers backing it up.”

The State College Regional Airport does not currently offer any direct flights to Florida, making this possibility extremely appealing to Centre County and surrounding residents.

However, for this idea to become a reality, there must be clear support shown by the community.

Scott added, “Last week, we encouraged the community to indicate how many flights they, their families, and their businesses would use annually if direct service to Florida was available from State College. In just over a week, we’ve had over 2,000 people complete the Google Form, pledging almost 7,000 round-trip flights annually. These pledges are non-binding, but many stories shared speak to the fact that people are already travelling to Florida from State College, or vice versa, to visit family, friends, and vacation spots. And, a direct flight between the two locations would be welcomed.”

Despite the outpour of community support, the decision is not up to the CIBCC or HVAB, Scott explained, “While community support will help our area make its case for airlines to bring direct Florida service to State College Regional Airport, it’s not the only factor that impacts the final decision. If State College Regional Airport’s proposal is not selected in the near future, we will continue working with the airport to pursue similar flight services, promoting the large showing of community support already pledged.”

Not only would this flight service benefit the residents, but it would also benefit the county as a whole. “Any new air service would have a significant economic impact on Centre County and the surrounding region by improving access for residents, business, and visitors, helping to attract and retain talent, and supporting tourism. Expanding air service is a critical piece of Centre County’s Economic Development Strategic Plan– which was launched last fall as a community-driven, collaborative, comprehensive plan to grow our economy in a smart, sustainable way over the next ten years,” Scott said. “That plan highlights a need for attracting and maintaining air service in our region to improve connectivity and boost our region’s competitive advantage.”