Landing Southwest is already paying off for Greenville

MAY 19, 2010 11:29 a.m. (0)

Southwest Airlines'  announcement last week that it would begin service to Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport within the next year without any government incentives enabled the City Council to chop a proposed solid waste fee increase nearly in half.

On Monday night, the Greenville City Council voted to approve on first reading a budget that calls for solid waste fees to increase from $8.50 per month per household to $11.50.  Continue reading...

 

The ‘Southwest Effect’

Entry of airline into GSP market should lower fares, boost options

MAY 21, 2010 9:13 a.m. (0)

Airfares plummeted at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport last year.

The average round-trip ticket price flying out of the Twin Cities was $321.54 during the third quarter of 2009, nearly $151 less than the year before.  Continue reading...

 

Changes ahead at GSP

Vision Airlines announces plans to offer flights here

JANUARY 21, 2011 10:31 a.m. (0)

Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport officials did not have to court the latest low-cost airline to announce service.

Vision Airlines, an airline that got its start offering tours of the Grand Canyon and played a part in last summer’s Russian spy swap, contacted GSP about starting service to Destin, Fla.

“That speaks to the strength that this market has,” said Rosylin Weston, GSP spokeswoman.  Continue reading...

 

Southwest reports 'solid bookings' for GSP flights

Service will begin March 13

FEBRUARY 11, 2011 9:55 a.m. (0)

Southwest Airline’s bookings ahead the March 13 inauguration of service from Greenville-Spartanburg and Charleston “look very strong,” said Gary Kelly, the airline’s top officer.

“We think South Carolina is going to be a wonderful addition to our route,” he told a news conference at the 122nd annual meeting and dinner of Greenville Chamber at the Carolina First Center Tuesday.

Kelly, who is Southwest’s chairman, president and chief executive officer, was the Chamber’s keynote speaker.  Continue reading...

 

Great expectations

As Southwest begins its air operations here, what's in store for the economy, businesses and travelers?

MARCH 10, 2011 1:12 p.m. (0)

Not much is expected of Southwest Airlines.  Not much, just this:

It will force lower fares of all airlines. No longer will GSP be one of the nation’s most expensive airports to use. Charlotte and Atlanta beware.

It will improve service of all airlines.  Those little commuter planes.  The inexplicable cancellation of flights.  Fees on baggage.  Nothing to snack on.  All that, history.  Continue reading...

 

GSP: A History

"Thank God for Mr. Milliken and Charles Daniel"

MARCH 11, 2011 1:23 p.m. (1)

It began with a letter sent in 1945 to Eastern Airlines president Eddie Rickenbacker, inviting him to Greenville to talk about Eastern’s service to the area and the need for a new regional airport location.

Greenville and Spartanburg, back then, had their own downtown airports and the Army, four days after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, told Greenville officials that an airbase would be built south of Greenville to train B-24 and B-25 bomber pilots fighting in World War II. The base was renamed Donaldson Air Force Base in the late 1950s.

As larger aircraft were being built to carry 100 or more passengers, the downtown airports, already 15 years old, were becoming antiquated and unprepared for handling the coming jet age.  Continue reading...

 

Southwest arrives

A plane pull, pep band and a mascot, they’ll all help welcome the airline during weekend celebration

MARCH 10, 2011 1:33 p.m. (0)

Southwest Airlines and Upstate community and business leaders will be doing a lot of celebrating this weekend to commemorate the historic arrival of the low-cost carrier to Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport.

The weekend includes private receptions, a plane pull, a progressive dinner in downtown Greenville, a community service project, First Flight certificates and a round of media conferences.

The service project, a signature event of Southwest’s entering a new market, will be tree plantings in Greenville and Spartanburg counties. Perhaps the most sentimental of the events will be the planting of a tree at GSP at the beginning of a Monday media conference in honor of Roger Milliken. Milliken was the only chairman of the airport commission until his death this past December. The tree plantings are symbolic of GSP and Southwest planting new roots together.  Continue reading...

 

Southwest arrives, now what?

Airline off to a good start in the Upstate  

MARCH 17, 2011 9:54 a.m. (0)

See slideshow above for photos of activities surrounding Southwest's arrival

Greenville residents may want to send thank you notes to the folks in Panama City, Fla.  Continue reading...

 

Here come the sky lots

Increase in passenger traffic at GSP causes parking shortage

JUNE 30, 2011 11:44 a.m. (0)

Greenville-International Airport officials said landing Southwest Airlines would bring passengers who had been traveling to Atlanta and Charlotte because of cheaper airfares back to the Upstate.

Numbers show they were right.

GSP saw an increase in passenger traffic for the third consecutive month.  Continue reading...