Florida just a skip away
Elmira- Corning Regional Airport, Airline to extend flights
BY JEFFERY SMITH THE LEADER

PHOTO BY JASON COX/THE LEADER Pan Am Clipper President David Fink and Chemung County Executive Tom Santulli announce that non-stop flights to Orlando will soon be offered at the Elmira-Corning Regional Airport.

ELMIRA -Local travelers will soon have non-stop air access to Florida.

Elmira-Corning Regional Airport officials announced Wednesday that Pan Am will extend its Clipper Connections to service Orlando Sanford International

Airport, located 18 miles north of the city.

The two non-stop flights per week will begin Nov. 19. "The flights are geared

more to our leisure travelers," said Ann Clarke, Elmira Corning Regional Airport Manager. "And it's a huge opportunity for the airport since Orlando is our top destination."

Pan Am Clipper Connection began service to Bedford, Mass., Trenton, N.J. and Baltimore/Washington, D.C., in September. The service offers two flights a day to each location.

"When we partnered with Pan Am Clipper in September it was our goal to

be able to add this Florida service and we are excited to be able to do so now," Clarke said. "We will continue to work with all of our airline partners to

expand air service opportunities for our passengers."

Chemung County Executive Tom Santulli said Pan Am Clipper is again adding a service which has long been in demand to the area. "We hope the passengers will find this service an advantage to using the Elmira-Corning Regional Airport," Santulli said.

David Fink, president of Pan Am Clipper and a Southern Tier native, called the flights a great opportunity for the airport and Pan Am Clipper. "It doesn't get much better than this, except when we get to Florida in the winter time," Fink said.

Pan Am Clipper's in-house travel partner, Pan Am Holidays, has a range of vacation packages available. Packages to Orlando- Sanford are available for as low as $389 per person.

The growth of the company will depend on the success of the Northeast flights, he said.

Pan Am utilizes smaller regional airports, like the Elmira-Corning Regional as portals to urban centers. By using convenient ground transportation, passengers can access metropolitan areas.

Santulli also stressed the importance of community members in creating a more competitive atmosphere at the airport. US Airways, Northwest and Continental currently have flights out of Elmira-

Corning. The county has invested heavily into updates and improvements at the airport in an attempt to lure businesses to the region.

In June, airport officials proposed a master plan that would make improvements to taxiways, safety, lighting, fuel storage capacity and hangars.

A grant was secured to extend the main runway to give access to larger jets and the passengers they carry.