What Airlines Fly To Fort Walton Beach?

Airways

What Airlines Fly To Fort Walton Beach
Allegiant, American Airlines and Southwest Airlines operate most flights to Destin / Fort Walton Beach. To get a full overview of all operating airlines, please use the airline filter. Which alliances are flying to Destin / Fort Walton Beach?

What airlines fly into Fort Walton airport?

Air Travel | Getting Here | Destin-Fort Walton Beach Convention Center Four airports service Northwest Florida. The Destin-Fort Walton Airport (VPS) offers over 35 nonstop flights daily to primary hub cities across the nation. Flights are available from several major airlines, including Allegiant Air, American Airlines, Delta, Silver Airways, and United.

  • Learn more now about and options to and from the Destin-Fort Walton Beach Convention Center.
  • Destin Executive Airport (DTS), located at the south end of Okaloosa County, offers private and small charter flights.
  • Destin Executive Airport is eight miles, a 15-minute drive from the Destin-Fort Walton Beach Convention Center.

Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport (ECP), located in West Bay, near Panama City and Panama City Beach, proudly serves American Airlines, Delta, and Southwest Airlines. The airport has to Fort Walton Beach and Destin for an additional charge.

  • The airport is about 60 miles, an hour and 15-minute drive, from the Destin-Fort Walton Beach Convention Center.
  • Additional connections are available at Pensacola International Airport (PNS), which is 46 miles or about an hour away from the Destin-Fort Walton Beach Convention Center.
  • Pensacola hosts major airlines such as American Airlines, Delta, Frontier, Silver Airways, and Southwest Airlines.

The airport has to Destin and Fort Walton Beach for an additional charge.

Airports
Destin – Fort Walton Beach Airport (VPS) (850) 651-7160

ul> Destin Airport (DTS) (850) 651-7160 Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport (ECP) Pensacola International Airport (PNS) (850) 436-5000

(850) 763-6751 : Air Travel | Getting Here | Destin-Fort Walton Beach Convention Center

What is Fort Walton Beach airport called?

Destin-Ft. Walton Beach Airport (VPS) is a dual-use airport (commercial/military) that is located within the Eglin Air Force Base, in Okaloosa County, Florida. The airport’s location is near the Cities of Destin and Fort Walton Beach. No private aircraft are permitted to fly into VPS due to its unique status.

Is the water clear in Fort Walton Beach?

Public Beach Access – Twenty-four miles of soft, sugar-white sand make Destin-Fort Walton Beach, Florida. While the sunshine state may offer over 1,800 miles of coastline, the shores of Destin-Fort Walton Beach provide access to the clear, emerald green water of the Gulf of Mexico unlike any other.

  • Why is our sand so white and our water so green? The beautiful quartz sand was delivered here by way of the Appalachian River, courtesy of the mountains of the same name, after the last ice age.
  • Over time, as the deposit built, our coastline was formed.
  • The quartz sand that remains beneath the water reflects the area’s abundant sunlight back through the waves to create the emerald hue of the Gulf of Mexico.
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Whether you prefer to ride the waves behind your hotel, enjoy a private swim at your vacation home rental, or splash at one of the popular boardwalks and public beach accesses listed below, one thing is for sure – you won’t find softer sand or more brilliant water than Destin-Fort Walton Beach!

Does it rain alot in Fort Walton Beach?

Located in northwest Florida’s Panhandle along the Emerald Coast, Fort Walton Beach has warm yet mild temperatures that make it a great destination for a Florida getaway in the summer, and a host of festive events and discount travel deals that make it ideal for a budget-friendly escape from the cold of most of the northern United States in the winter.

  • Although Fort Walton Beach has an overall average high and low temperatures of 78 and 54 degrees Fahrenheit (26 and 12 degrees Celsius), respectively, the weather can be unpredictable, so visitors should expect extremes from time to time.
  • That was evident in 1980 when the temperature reached a sweltering 107 degrees Fahrenheit (42 degrees Celsius) and again in 1985 when the thermometer dipped to a very cold 4 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 16 degrees Celsius).

Additionally, while the summer is the warmest time to visit Fort Walton Beach, it’s also the wettest season, and the city receives an average of around 6 inches of rain per month throughout the year. Whether you’re looking for a fun destination for a family trip in August or want to plan an intimate escape for Mardi Gras that’s off the beaten path, Fort Walton Beach has something for everyone all year long.

Hottest Month: July and August (91 F/33 C)Coldest Month: January (61 F/16 C)Wettest Month: July (9.4 inches)Best Month for Swimming: August (Gulf of Mexico temperature: 86 F/30 C)

Why is Fort Walton airport VPS?

History – In 1957, The Okaloosa County Air Terminal opened on Eglin Air Force Base in building 89 with 3 personnel (Airport Manager, Security and Admin Support). Southern Airways was the only passenger airline, with Douglas DC-3s direct to Atlanta via several stops.

Passengers entered the base through the East Gate near Valparaiso, thus the airport code of VPS. Southern would later upgrade their service into the airport with 40-passenger Martin 404 propliners before initiating the first scheduled passenger jet flights at VPS.1967 : Southern Airways introduced Douglas DC-9-10 jetliner service into VPS thus becoming the first airline to operate jets into the airport.1968: According to the September 3, 1968, Southern Airways system timetable, the airline was operating daily nonstop DC-9-10 jet service to Atlanta and New Orleans with direct, no change of plane DC-9 jet flights twice a day to New York City LaGuardia Airport and Washington D.C.

Dulles Airport via intermediate stops in Dothan, AL and Columbus, GA. February 1975 : The new James E. Plew Terminal Building of the Okaloosa Air Terminal, on State Road 85, opened in mid-February 1975, with dedication on 22 February. Representative Bob Sikes and Southern Airways President Frank Hulse were some of the speakers.

  1. The 32,000 sq ft (3,000 m2) facility cost $1.7 million.
  2. Federal grants totaled $472,000, state $80,000, Okaloosa County bond sale $1.1 million, and Southern Airways $190,000.
  3. First year enplaned passengers totaled 97,000 with Southern Airways as the sole airline serving VPS with 12 departing flights daily.1977 : South Central Air Transport (SCAT), a commuter air carrier, was serving the airport with flights to New Orleans, LA, Mobile, AL, Montgomery, AL and Panama City, FL flown with Handley Page Jetstream propjets.1979 : On July 1, 1979 Southern Airways merged with North Central Airlines to form Republic Airlines,
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In July 1979 Republic flew Douglas DC-9-10 and McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30 jets nonstop from VPS to Atlanta, GA; Dothan, AL; Mobile, AL; New Orleans, LA; Orlando, FL and Tallahassee, FL. Republic also operated direct DC-9 jet service to Baton Rouge, LA; Chicago, IL ( O’Hare Airport ), Fort Lauderdale, FL; Memphis, TN; Monroe, LA; New York ( LaGuardia Airport ) and Washington D.C.

Dulles Airport ). Prior to the merger Southern flew all of these nonstop and direct DC-9 routes as well and also operated direct DC-9 jet service to Birmingham, AL; Miami, FL and Nashville, TN.1980s : At the beginning of the 1980s, only Republic Airlines was operating nonstop service between VPS and Atlanta.

Republic was operating DC-9-10, DC-9-30 and DC-9-50 jets on the route. As the decade progressed, Delta Air Lines and Eastern Air Lines both added nonstop service between the airport and Atlanta via their respective regional airline code sharing partners, Delta Connection and Eastern Metro Express, both of which operated turboprop aircraft into VPS.

The Delta Connection service was flown by Atlantic Southeast Airlines (ASA) operating de Havilland Canada DHC-7 Dash 7 and Embraer EMB-120 Brasilia turboprops. The Eastern Metro Express service was flown by Metro Airlines operating British Aerospace BAe Jetstream 31 and de Havilland Canada DHC-8 -100 Dash 8 turboprops.

Air New Orleans, a commuter airline, also served VPS during the 1980s with commuter aircraft such as the Beechcraft C99 turboprop and Piper prop aircraft. Destinations served by Air New Orleans from VPS included Birmingham, AL; Mobile, AL; New Orleans, LA; Orlando, FL; Panama City, FL; Pensacola, FL and Tampa, FL.1986–1987 : On October 1, 1986, Northwest Airlines completed its merger with Republic Airlines,

Northwest flew only one route from VPS: nonstop to Memphis, a Northwest hub which was also a former Republic and Southern Airways hub. By September 1987 Northwest had four non-stops a day to Memphis with stretched McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30 and DC-9-50s, Later Northwest would reduce its schedule from VPS to three daily DC-9s nonstop to Memphis.

No other airline flew jets into VPS until Valujet/Airtran appeared in the 1990s.1998 : AirTran Airways was serving the airport at this time with jet service. According to the August 1, 1998 AirTran system timetable, two nonstop flights a day were operated to Atlanta with direct, one stop service once a day to Washington, D.C.

  • Dulles Airport,
  • AirTran operated McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30 jetliners into VPS.
  • However, by the end of 2001, AirTran had ceased all service into the airport after commencing service to Pensacola.
  • November 2004 : The current Northwest Florida Regional Airport opened its doors following an expansion with more parking, a larger aircraft parking apron, a second parallel taxiway, landscaping and a new 110,000 sq ft (10,000 m 2 ) passenger terminal.
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January 2010 : Delta Air Lines completed its merger with Northwest Airlines on January 31, 2010. Delta then scaled back the Northwest hub operation in Memphis, and service between VPS and MEM was discontinued in favor of nonstop flights to Delta’s hub in Atlanta.2011: Vision Airlines began a small scheduled passenger hub operation at VPS with flights to Asheville, NC; Atlanta, GA; Baton Rouge, LA; Columbia, SC; Fort Lauderdale, FL; Fort Myers, FL; Greenville/Spartanburg, SC; Huntsville, AL; Knoxville, TN; Lafayette, LA; Las Vegas, NV; Little Rock, AR; Louisville, KY; Sanford/Orlando, FL; Savannah, GA; Shreveport, LA; St.

  1. Louis, MO; and St.
  2. Petersburg, FL.
  3. Vision flew Boeing 737 jetliners and Dornier 328 turboprops.
  4. Vision later ended all flights at the airport and shut down its VPS hub.
  5. February 17, 2015 : Northwest Florida Regional Airport changed its name to Destin–Fort Walton Beach Airport on a 3–2 vote.
  6. March 2016 : GLO Airlines began less than daily, seasonal service from VPS to Little Rock (LIT) and New Orleans (MSY) using 30-seat Saab 340B turboprop aircraft.

GLO has since ceased all flights and is no longer in business. May/June 2016 : Allegiant Air began scheduled service to VPS from Cincinnati (CVG), Ft Lauderdale (FLL), Oklahoma City (OKC), Knoxville (TYS), Memphis (MEM) and St Louis/Belleville (BLV) flying Airbus A319, A320, and McDonnell Douglas MD-80 mainline jet aircraft.

  1. The Destin–Fort Walton Beach Airport became a focus city for the airline at this time.
  2. September 2016 : Contour Airlines began flying less than daily, seasonal service from Bowling Green, KY (BWG) to VPS using 30-seat British Aerospace BAe Jetstream 41 turboprop aircraft.
  3. January 2017 : Allegiant Air announced a major expansion with a new base of operations to be located on the airport with a total of eighteen (18) domestic destinations to be served nonstop on seasonal basis with mainline jet aircraft by June 2017 with most of the planned new service to begin in May 2017.

May 2019 : Silver Airways began daily service to Orlando, FL (MCO) from VPS using a 34-seat Saab 340 turboprop aircraft. Silver stopped serving VPS in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. May 6, 2021, Southwest Airlines began service to VPS with flights to Dallas (DAL), Nashville (BNA), Baltimore/Washington (BWI) and Chicago/Midway (MDW).