Panama City Beach – Northwest Florida Beaches International (ECP) Grand Opening / Open House Schedule of Events May 22, 2010

Panama City Beach / West Bay – On Saturday May 22, 2010 come and enjoy a great day of celebration! It’s the GRAND OPENING! The Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport is hosting an Open House.

Tour the new terminal. See the West Bay Site. There will be shuttles from the parking area to the terminal. Meet the sponsors while visiting their booths which will be located outside and inside the terminal. Some of the artists who donated artwork will be available to discuss their work. Bring your umbrella for shade while enjoying the outdoor concerts and ribbon cutting ceremony. There will also be indoor concerts. There will be LIMITED seating. Bring chairs.

There will be food and beverage vendors on site as well as a first aid area. There will be balloon artists and face painting for the children. If weather permits, you will witness the first aircraft landing at ECP. Buy your t-shirt, too!

Schedule of Events*
Saturday, May 22

6:00 a.m. Gate Security--Law Enforcement Positioned.
9:00 a.m. Gates Open to General Public
9:00 -9:45 a.m. Merritt Brown Middle Band Terminal Front
45 Seated
9:00 a.m.-4 p.m. Flipside Terminal In & Out
Fun for children.
9:45 -10:55 a.m. LoCash Cowboys Stage 2
10:55 -11:15 a.m. Arnold High Jazz Band Apron
25 Seated
11:30 a.m. Grand Opening Program Stage1
Local, regional, state and federal dignitaries in attendance to mark
this memorable occasion including Senator Bill Nelson and Governor
Charlie Crist.
11:45 a.m. Tyndall Flyover
12:20 p.m. Ribbon Cutting
12:30-1:45 p.m. Eric Heatherly (Set 1) Stage 2
1:55 p.m. First Flight ETA
1:55-2:20 p.m. Bay High Band (Set 1) Terminal Side
2:15-3:20 p.m. Stainless Steel Terminal Gate Area
2:30 p.m. Second Flight ETA
2:30-2:50 p.m. Bay High Band (Set 2) Terminal Side
3:00-3:55 p.m. Eric Heatherly (Set 2) Stage 2
4:00 p.m. Gates will be closing within the hour.
* Times and activities may change due to weather and/or conditions

ECP is only 11.5 miles from our Panama City Beach Condos for tent at Celadon Beach Resort Reserve The Best Panama City Beach Condos for Your Beach Vacation

We will have pictures on the web site from the first flight leaving Nashville on May 23, 2010. Our first drawing for Southwest Airlines gift cards to be given to our guests at Celadon Beach Resort will also be held May 23. Book your reservation now to be eligible!

The address of ECP follows:

Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport (ECP)
6300 West Bay Parkway
Panama City Beach, FL 32409

Directions to ECP Follow:

Panama City Beach – The new Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport is located on State Highway 388 roughly equidistance between State Road 79 and State Road 77 to the east.

From Panama City, take State Road 77 north through Lynn Haven and Southport. Turn left onto State Highway 388. Proceed for approximately 8 miles. Airport entrance is on the right.

From Panama City Beach, take State Road 79 north toward West Bay. Turn right onto State Highway 388. Proceed for approximately 4 miles. Airport entrance is on the left.

Driving west on I-10 from Tallahassee, take State Road 77 south to State Highway 388. Turn right and proceed approximately 8 miles. Airport entrance is on the right.

Driving east on I-10 from Pensacola, take State Road 79 south to State Highway 388. Turn left and proceed approximately 4 miles. Airport entrance is on the left.

From the best condos for rent in Panama City Beach, FL http://www.bestpanamacitybeachcondo.com driving east on Front Beach Road take State Road 79 north toward West Bay. Turn right onto State Highway 388. Proceed for approximately 4 miles. Airport entrance is on the left. Wow the new airport is only a little over 11 miles from your condo on the beach.

Click here to get driving directions to ECP http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=embed&saddr=&daddr=982+State+Highway+388,+Panama+City+Beach,+FL+32413&hl=en&geocode=&mra=ls&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=29.634084,56.337891&ie=UTF8&ll=30.326553,-85.781967&spn=0.503779,0.88028

Panama City Beach – Press Release for Northwest Florida International Airport (ECP). May 23, 2010 opening on Schedule!

The new airport is only 11.5 miles from our Panama City Beach Florida condos for rent Reserve The Best Panama City Beach Condos for Your Beach Vacation . Our Vacation rental condos are at Celadon Beach Resort.

Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport
Wins Final FAA Approval

May 23rd Grand Opening Right on Schedule
Panama City, Florida – (May 11, 2010) – The Panama City Bay County Airport and Industrial District (Airport Authority) today announced that Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport has received its Part 139 Airport Operating Certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration. The new airport is scheduled to begin service Sunday, May 23.

“This is a significant milestone in the development of Northwest Florida’s newest airport,” said Airport Authority Chairman Joe Tannehill. “We want to thank our partners at the FAA in helping us to ensure that the new Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport meets all federal aviation safety requirements. This is indeed great news.”

As part of the certification process, FAA inspectors tested the new airport’s 10,000-foot runway, instrument landing equipment, navigational system, runway lighting and air traffic control tower. FAA air traffic controllers are now training in the control tower in preparation of the May 23rd opening.
Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport is still awaiting final approval from the Transportation Security Administration and a Certificate of Occupancy from Bay County for the 125,000-square-foot passenger terminal.

In other action today, the Airport Authority agreed to lease space at the new airport to Thrifty Car Rental. That brings to six the number of car rental companies that will be operating in the new airport. The others are: Alamo, Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Hertz and National.

The $318-million Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport is the first commercial-service international airport built in the U.S. in the past 15 years. The new airport and its 10,000-foot runway are built on approximately 1,300 acres of a 4,000-acre site. The 125,000-square-foot passenger terminal features seven gates, two restaurants, two retail shops and six car rental ticketing counters.

Southwest Airlines and Delta Air Lines will offer daily nonstop service to Atlanta, Memphis, Orlando, Cincinnati, Houston, Baltimore and Nashville.
Airport Contact:

Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport
Randy Curtis, Executive Director, 850-763-6751 ext. 203

Panama City Beach Condo Rental Contact:
Pam 615-496-4369