PANAMA CITY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT VISITED BY SENATOR NELSON & REPRESENTATIVE BOYD

As you can see, the Panama City International Airport is moving right along and drawing a lot of high profile visitors. One of the biggest stories for the Airport is, whether they will land Southwest Airlines or not. Southwest Airlines is still considering the three Panhandle Airports, Pensacola, Northwest Florida Regional (Fort Walton Beach), and the Panama City, and is expected to make an announcement soon. Stay tuned.



Sen. Nelson, Rep. Boyd Come to New Airport 08/28/09 - 05:06 PM By: Mary Scott Speigner Bay County, Fla:

The brand new Panama City Bay County International Airport site is 69% finished with plans to open in May of 2010.
Now national companies are being recruited to come to the area, bringing the possibility of more jobs. The new airport site was full of big name industries Friday, many already in the area and others looking to get business here. Lawmakers were also there promoting their area.
Senator Bill Nelson, Congressman Allen Boyd, and former Florida House Speaker Allen Bense all came out to the new airport to encourage industry in Northwest Florida. “You’ve got a real aerospace corridor here that is going to increasingly become a magnet for high tech aviation aerospace and defense work,” Nelson said. Defense contractors already in the area set up to show off what they have to offer the big companies like Being and Northrop Grumman, and they seem interested. “A new facility like this, the most modern airport in the U.S. with all the industrial space for suppliers that exist in this area it’s a perfect storm. It’s a great opportunity for Northrop Grumman for the other companies in the region and Northwest Florida,” said Jim McIngvale of Northrop Grumman. Besides the commercial flights you’ll be using, area leaders say this new airport has the opportunity to become the world’s next great aerospace corridor.
“With all this aerospace and defense work here…they’re going to set up an industrial aerospace park and so you’re going to get a hub of economic activity,” Nelson said. “This new airport can now be a hub that highlights all of the great resources we have here,” said Rep. Allen Boyd (D).
Senator Nelson even compared the new airport site to Orlando’s airport because of the major planning going into expansion. “Of course Orlando today is one of the major airports in the entire world. That’s what Panama City now has as an opportunity,” said Nelson.