Gulfport-Biloxi Airport Applies for BP Money for New Program

The Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport is applying for BP oil spill money for an economic development project.

Because Gulfport is a smaller market, it can be difficult to attract new airlines to service the city. With BP money, the airport would be able to give incentives to new airlines, and thus expand airline options for fliers. Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport also plans to look for low fare airlines to allow more tourists to come visit the Gulf Coast. Currently, the local airlines only fly to Houston, Atlanta, Charlotte, and Dallas.

Clay Williams, Executive Director of the Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport, says, “You can connect to anywhere in the world through those four cities, but this would be the addition of a city or if you could bring in low cost air carriers. If you could bring in a low cost air carrier, it does a number of things. Number one, it’s going to bring in tourists that currently don’t have access to the wonderful amenities we have along the Gulf Coast. The other thing that it does too is if you have a low coast carrier in your market, it brings down the fares across the board.”

Gulf Coast leaders hope lower air fares will mean expanded tourism on the Coast.