New airline at McKeller-Sipes could be good for business
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JACKSON, Tenn. — Big changes at McKeller-Sipes Regional Airport could mean big business for Jackson. “This is an opportunity,” Jackson Chamber President/CEO Kyle Spurgeon said. “A community our size and a region our size needs to have an airport that’s viable and has direct flights to another market.” The United States Department of Transportation awarded a two year contract to Air Choice One, replacing Seaport Airlines. The new carrier will offer non-stop flights from Jackson to St. Louis and back. Spurgeon said the change will make the city an easier sell. “This in and of itself will not cause anyone to locate here, but when we are working with new industry and certainly working with existing industry too, it’s just another sales tool for us,” he said. Jackson-Madison County Airport Authority Executive Director Steve Smith said about 80-percent of people flying out of Jackson connect with Southwest Airlines, which has a hub in St. Louis. “They have more flights out of St. Louis than almost anywhere else in the south,” Smith said. Spurgeon said it is great for local businesses who need to fly people in and out. “The easier we can make that on companies, the easier it is for Jackson to be successful,” he said. Air Choice One will begin service out of McKeller-Sipes Regional Airport early this summer. The Jackson-Madison County Airport Authority said the airport currently averages less than eight passengers a day, just under the 10 passenger minimum required by the USDOT.
