NORTHWEST FLORIDA REGIONAL AIRPORT (FORT WALTON BEACH) HAS EYE ON WESTJET FROM CANADA

Okaloosa wooing WestJet
Canadian airline could fly snowbirds south for winter
By THOMAS J. MONIGAN Northwest Florida Daily News 315-4438 tmonigan@nwfdailynews.com

OKALOOSA ISLAND — Greg Donovan knew just when and where he wanted to let everybody know about his plans to get air service between Canada and the Emerald Coast. Donovan, Okaloosa County’s airports director, kicked off an initiative to land WestJet with an announcement at Friday’s eighth annual Senior Snowbird Expo. H e a d q u a r t e r e d i n Calgary, Alberta, WestJet would make direct flights from Toronto to Northwest Florida Regional Airport. Normally, setting up U.S. Customs inspections would be a major hurdle, but Donovan said that would be handled on the Canadian end of the proposed route. “We’ve identified this airline as a perfect fit,” Donovan said. “We have lots of people from Canada driving down here now. With this service they could fly down here, then go back to check on their house or for something like a medical situation, or they could have friends come visit them. “But we’ve got no historical data to present to WestJet to show them how much customer demand there might be,” he added. “That’s why we’re kicking off this campaign. If all goes well, we could be announcing new service with them at this event next year.” C a n a d i a n C a r o l y n Hall, who said she was retired from American Airlines, seemed more than interested. “We can fly here from Toronto on American now, but we have to go by way of Dallas,” Hall said. Joan Deering from London, Ontario, said she would be here from January through the middle of March. “I think it’s awesome,” Deering said. “I was so excited by the announcement.” Donovan said he and airport Business Development Manager Mike Stenson would wait until Monday to see how many hits their new Web site, www.wewantwest jet.com, had received. “Then the next step would be to integrate this into a formal presentation for chambers of commerce all along the Gulf Coast, even as far as Mobile (Ala.),” Donovan added. “And we’ll be looking to rally support from the hotels and resorts.”