Airport That Lost All Passenger Flights After Spirit Airlines Shut Down Finally Gets a New Airline

A Pennsylvania airport that lost all its scheduled passenger flights when Spirit Airlines shut down in May has finally found a replacement. Arnold Palmer Regional Airport announced Tuesday, October 13, that Breeze Airways will begin flying from Latrobe in 2027.

Breeze’s first destination will be Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, in February. Orlando flights are expected to begin a few months later, in May.

Spirit was the only airline offering scheduled passenger flights from Latrobe. When it canceled every flight nationwide on May 2, the Pennsylvania airport was left without any regular passenger service.

Airport officials approved the agreement with Breeze during a board meeting Tuesday morning. They also showed off a new passenger terminal that had been in the works before Spirit closed.

Breeze Airways Will Fly to Myrtle Beach and Orlando

Embedded media follows. Please allow a moment for it to load.

Breeze announced the new routes on October 13 as part of a larger expansion involving 22 routes and four new cities. The Myrtle Beach route is scheduled to operate on Mondays and Fridays. Orlando flights will run on Wednesdays and Saturdays, beginning May 26.

Breeze is offering introductory fares starting at $49 one way to Myrtle Beach. Orlando starts at $59, although that price is only available for Wednesday travel under the promotion.

Both fares are for the airline’s No Flex tickets. Baggage and certain other extras cost more, and passengers can already make reservations through Breeze’s website.

Spirit Had Been Flying From Latrobe Since 2011

Spirit started serving Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in 2011. Its routes over the years included Myrtle Beach and several Florida destinations.

On May 2, the airline announced that it was shutting down and told customers not to come to the airport. Spirit said it had run out of funding after struggling with rising fuel prices and other financial problems.

Private planes, charter services and flight schools continued using Arnold Palmer Regional Airport after Spirit left. The airport just didn’t have an airline selling tickets for regular passenger flights. The Westmoreland County Airport Authority had received an $850,000 federal grant to help attract another carrier.

Airport manager Dylan Kovatch told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that Breeze started showing serious interest about two weeks before the announcement. The agreement was finalized in time for Tuesday’s board meeting.

The Airport Has a New Terminal, Too

The airport’s new passenger terminal is part of a $28 million expansion. It has 32,000 square feet of space and can accommodate up to 500 passengers. There are several TSA screening lines, a nursing room, and an indoor pet relief area. The family restroom also has an adult changing table.

The airport says the walk from the parking lot to the terminal entrance is about 280 steps. Passengers can get from their cars to the gate without using stairs or an elevator.

Long-term parking is free. Travelers who want to leave their cars in the preferred lot closest to the building will pay $4 per night. The airport is named for golfer Arnold Palmer, who was born less than a mile from the runway. He learned to fly there in 1956, and the airport was renamed in his honor in 1999.