PANAMA CITY BEACH -- The Airport Authority voted Tuesday to change the name of the new airport under construction near West Bay to the Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport.
Regardless of what they end up naming the airport you are only 12 miles from the Panama City Beach Condos at Celadon Beach Resort Reserve The Best Panama City Beach Condos for Your Beach Vacation
Southwest Airlines plans to fly to the airport starting in May 2010. Southwest will publish their flight schedule and start selling tickets in December 2009.
The change, in a close 3-2 vote, came just a month after the board named the new airport the Northwest Florida-Panama City International Airport, a label that drew critical comments from some quarters because of the Panama City tag, officials said.
“We did receive quite a few comments from the public and other government agencies,” airport Executive Director Randy Curtis said.
Curtis said that over the course of two years in discussions with possible airlines for the new facility, carriers had made clear they hoped a name would be chosen with a more regional perspective to help marketing efforts.
Board Vice Chairman Bill Cramer protested that he thought the new name, with its Beaches moniker, made the Panhandle seem too “one dimensional.” He said the previous name, with its use of both “Northwest Florida” and “Panama City,” accomplished the twin objectives of branding the region and letting visitors know the city they were flying into. Most large airports in Florida use the home city in their official names, Cramer said, and Panama City had a lot of "brand equity.”
Both Cramer and board member Gerry Clemons, a former Panama City mayor, voted against changing the name.
Clemons said Panama City had spent millions of dollars over past years in efforts to keep the current airport afloat and deserved the recognition.
In the end, though, he was philosophical about changing the name. “We made a lot of people mad, and that was kind of fun,” he said.
Showing posts with label Panama City Beach Airport. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Panama City Beach Airport. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Panama City Beach - Southwest Airlines coming?
PANAMA CITY BEACH — Airport Authority Chairman Joe Tannehill said Monday that Bay County should know by December whether Southwest Airlines is coming to the new Northwest Florida-Panama City International Airport.
There were rumors on Twitter when we were at our Panama City Beach Reserve The Best Panama City Beach Condos for Your Beach Vacation that Southwest Airlines is going to fly to Panama City Beach from Nashville and Baltimore. Being from Nashville, a direct flight to PCB on Southwest would be great!
“I haven’t been told a specific date and I haven’t asked them for a specific date,” said Tannehill, who has been intimately involved in negotiations with Southwest and other low-cost carriers in advance of the new airport’s May 2010 opening.
“But we know that if they are coming anywhere in the Panhandle, they have to have it resolved by December for their own business reasons,” he said. “They would want to begin selling tickets after the first of the year.”
Tannehill on Monday also left open whether Airport Authority members would revisit the issue of the airport’s new name, which was chosen last week. Northwest Florida Panama City International. I agree they can do better.
Email your name suggestions to me and I will send them to the board.
There were rumors on Twitter when we were at our Panama City Beach Reserve The Best Panama City Beach Condos for Your Beach Vacation that Southwest Airlines is going to fly to Panama City Beach from Nashville and Baltimore. Being from Nashville, a direct flight to PCB on Southwest would be great!
“I haven’t been told a specific date and I haven’t asked them for a specific date,” said Tannehill, who has been intimately involved in negotiations with Southwest and other low-cost carriers in advance of the new airport’s May 2010 opening.
“But we know that if they are coming anywhere in the Panhandle, they have to have it resolved by December for their own business reasons,” he said. “They would want to begin selling tickets after the first of the year.”
Tannehill on Monday also left open whether Airport Authority members would revisit the issue of the airport’s new name, which was chosen last week. Northwest Florida Panama City International. I agree they can do better.
Email your name suggestions to me and I will send them to the board.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Panama City Beach - Top Ten News Stories of 2008
In the annual Panama City News Herald Poll The good, the bad and the ugly stood out among readers and newsroom staff in 2008…Most of the stories are based on local events and do not deal with the Beach tourist trade so I will only list a couple of the stories.
Top 10 # 1 - County residents feel sting of faltering economy
Bay County's economy took a pounding in 2008, as high unemployment, a record number of foreclosure filings and a sluggish housing market took its toll on area residents and businesses.
The county's unemployment rate went from 4.9 percent in January to 7.4 percent in November, the highest level recorded since January 2002. Gulf Coast Workforce Board Executive Director Kim Bodine said the area's annual job growth rate measured a negative 3.4 percent in November, an overall loss of 2,600 jobs. Bodine said the county's unemployment rate could rise in early 2009, as the state's Agency for Workforce Innovation included more area job layoffs in its monthly totals. "I think next month will be up a half-percent at least," Bodine said Dec. 20, after AWI released its November unemployment numbers.
Area foreclosure filings were also on the rise in 2008. Irvine, Calif.-based foreclosure tracking company RealtyTrac had recorded 2,280 Bay County foreclosure filings through November. Filings in RealtyTrac's total included default notices, auction sale notices, and bank repossessions, with some properties with multiple mortgages receiving more than one notice. By comparison, the company recorded 960 Bay County foreclosure filings in its end-of-year 2007 market report, released in January. August was Bay County's highest month for foreclosure filings, according to RealtyTrac, with 328 filings. Like most other Florida metropolitan areas, Panama City recorded year-over-year decreases in existing home and condominium sales, as well as median sales prices, for most of 2008. The area did see a slight increase in November existing home sales. Bay County Association of Realtors President Jan Cox said in December she thought the area's housing market would start to stabilize in 2009 after a challenging 2008. The county's housing market must still work through a two-year existing inventory of residential homes and create a reason for prices to increase, Cox acknowledged. Cox said the new Panama City-Bay County International Airport could contribute to a housing market rebound that comes sooner than recoveries in other parts of Florida. "I see the Panhandle as having the absolute first shot at recovery and price appreciation," Cox said before Wednesday's meeting. [I am not in the market now but if you are looking for a Panama City Beach Condo there are some great prices on prime properties on the Beach.]
One 2008 economic bright spot was the end-of-year decline in gas prices. After spiking above $4 a gallon in the wake of Hurricane Ike's Texas landfall, gas prices dropped steadily over the rest of the year. By late December, Bay County gas prices had dropped as low as $1.63 a gallon at some area stations. The dip below $2 a gallon represented the first time area gas prices had fallen below that benchmark since February 2006.
Top Ten #3: Pier Park, new airport good news amid gloom
PANAMA CITY BEACH — The opening of Pier Park in Panama City Beach and continued progress on construction of the new airport near West Bay was some good economic news during this year's gloomy economy.
Dozens of restaurants and large retailers signed on to open stores at Panama City Beach's 93-acre Pier Park development, expected to reach 152 outlets when completed and 1.1 million square feet of retail space.
Construction of the Panama City-Bay County International airport picked up steam with the awarding of a bid for the new terminal and the decision to increase the length of the runway to 10,000 feet. In addition, a legal hurdle for the airport was cleared this year when a lawsuit was dismissed that sought to reverse a permit issued by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the airport's construction. The lawsuit, filed by several environmental groups, claimed that building the $318 million airport would destroy valuable wetlands and that the Corps abused its discretion in issuing the permit. For now, officials say construction at the airport site is about four months ahead of schedule and the opening date is still planned for May 2010. [As a side note the Airport project has approximately 250 on site workers per day and offsite quarries, asphalt plants, truck drivers and other ancillary businesses employ another 350 people.]
Best Panama City Beach Condos for Rent
Top 10 # 1 - County residents feel sting of faltering economy
Bay County's economy took a pounding in 2008, as high unemployment, a record number of foreclosure filings and a sluggish housing market took its toll on area residents and businesses.
The county's unemployment rate went from 4.9 percent in January to 7.4 percent in November, the highest level recorded since January 2002. Gulf Coast Workforce Board Executive Director Kim Bodine said the area's annual job growth rate measured a negative 3.4 percent in November, an overall loss of 2,600 jobs. Bodine said the county's unemployment rate could rise in early 2009, as the state's Agency for Workforce Innovation included more area job layoffs in its monthly totals. "I think next month will be up a half-percent at least," Bodine said Dec. 20, after AWI released its November unemployment numbers.
Area foreclosure filings were also on the rise in 2008. Irvine, Calif.-based foreclosure tracking company RealtyTrac had recorded 2,280 Bay County foreclosure filings through November. Filings in RealtyTrac's total included default notices, auction sale notices, and bank repossessions, with some properties with multiple mortgages receiving more than one notice. By comparison, the company recorded 960 Bay County foreclosure filings in its end-of-year 2007 market report, released in January. August was Bay County's highest month for foreclosure filings, according to RealtyTrac, with 328 filings. Like most other Florida metropolitan areas, Panama City recorded year-over-year decreases in existing home and condominium sales, as well as median sales prices, for most of 2008. The area did see a slight increase in November existing home sales. Bay County Association of Realtors President Jan Cox said in December she thought the area's housing market would start to stabilize in 2009 after a challenging 2008. The county's housing market must still work through a two-year existing inventory of residential homes and create a reason for prices to increase, Cox acknowledged. Cox said the new Panama City-Bay County International Airport could contribute to a housing market rebound that comes sooner than recoveries in other parts of Florida. "I see the Panhandle as having the absolute first shot at recovery and price appreciation," Cox said before Wednesday's meeting. [I am not in the market now but if you are looking for a Panama City Beach Condo there are some great prices on prime properties on the Beach.]
One 2008 economic bright spot was the end-of-year decline in gas prices. After spiking above $4 a gallon in the wake of Hurricane Ike's Texas landfall, gas prices dropped steadily over the rest of the year. By late December, Bay County gas prices had dropped as low as $1.63 a gallon at some area stations. The dip below $2 a gallon represented the first time area gas prices had fallen below that benchmark since February 2006.
Top Ten #3: Pier Park, new airport good news amid gloom
PANAMA CITY BEACH — The opening of Pier Park in Panama City Beach and continued progress on construction of the new airport near West Bay was some good economic news during this year's gloomy economy.
Dozens of restaurants and large retailers signed on to open stores at Panama City Beach's 93-acre Pier Park development, expected to reach 152 outlets when completed and 1.1 million square feet of retail space.
Construction of the Panama City-Bay County International airport picked up steam with the awarding of a bid for the new terminal and the decision to increase the length of the runway to 10,000 feet. In addition, a legal hurdle for the airport was cleared this year when a lawsuit was dismissed that sought to reverse a permit issued by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the airport's construction. The lawsuit, filed by several environmental groups, claimed that building the $318 million airport would destroy valuable wetlands and that the Corps abused its discretion in issuing the permit. For now, officials say construction at the airport site is about four months ahead of schedule and the opening date is still planned for May 2010. [As a side note the Airport project has approximately 250 on site workers per day and offsite quarries, asphalt plants, truck drivers and other ancillary businesses employ another 350 people.]
Best Panama City Beach Condos for Rent
Friday, March 21, 2008
Panama City Beach - Airport Update
On Thursday March 20th the Panama City-Bay County International Airport Authority members were given an update on the design of the new airport’s terminal building. The members liked the flow of the design but suggested a color change for the exterior of the building. The members worked with the designers to value engineer some of the features in order to lower the cost of the building. The members were also told that the groundwork for the new airport is proceeding on schedule. The new airport is scheduled to open in the second quarter of 2010.
Jerry
Panama City Beach Condos for Rent
Jerry
Panama City Beach Condos for Rent
Monday, January 28, 2008
YEA!!! Panama City Beach Airport
A federal appellant court in New York has lifted the stay on construction at the site of the new Panama City-Bay County International Airport. Now airport officials must work with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to get the 404 permit reinstated before work can begin again.
Jerry
Panama City Beach Condos for Rent
Jerry
Panama City Beach Condos for Rent
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Panama City Airport Hearing Today
Keep your fingers crossed for airport approval today! Let the airport construction begin!
The court hearing regarding the new Panama City-Bay County International Airport is today in New York City. A three-judge panel from the Second Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan will hear arguments from three organizations that challenged the Federal Aviation Administration’s approval of the $330 million airport project in late 2006. Hopefully the hearing will have a favorable outcome and allow construction of the airport to get back on track! More to come...
Jerry
Panama City Beach Condos for Rent
The court hearing regarding the new Panama City-Bay County International Airport is today in New York City. A three-judge panel from the Second Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan will hear arguments from three organizations that challenged the Federal Aviation Administration’s approval of the $330 million airport project in late 2006. Hopefully the hearing will have a favorable outcome and allow construction of the airport to get back on track! More to come...
Jerry
Panama City Beach Condos for Rent
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