Westmoreland Airport Lands New Airline Service to Myrtle Beach, Orlando

Five months after Spirit’s shutdown left the Latrobe airport without a scheduled flight, Breeze Airways is moving in with nonstops to Myrtle Beach and Orlando — and one-way fares from $49.

Breeze Airways will bring new airline service to Westmoreland County’s Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in 2027, with twice-weekly nonstop flights to Myrtle Beach, S.C., and Orlando, Fla., the carrier announced Tuesday.

In its announcement, Breeze said Myrtle Beach flights will begin Feb. 9 and operate Mondays and Fridays. Orlando service will follow May 26, with flights on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

According to Aviation Week, the airport near Latrobe, Pa., lost its remaining scheduled airline service when Spirit Airlines stopped flying in May.

Why the Westmoreland Airport Deal Matters

The announcement ends more than five months in which travelers had no scheduled airline flight to book out of Latrobe. The first Breeze departure, however, is still about four months away.

Spirit ended all flight operations May 2 during bankruptcy and liquidation, canceling flights across its network, according to an official notice from Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport.

Aviation Week reported Sept. 23 that the Westmoreland airport received $850,000 through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Small Community Air Service Development Program. The money is meant to help restore low-cost service to Florida and Myrtle Beach.

The Westmoreland County Airport Authority, which owns and operates the airport, signed a two-year agreement with Breeze, TribLive reported. The deal’s duration and financial terms have not been independently confirmed, and the authority’s latest publicly posted meeting minutes date to June.

The Latrobe routes are part of a 2027 expansion that Breeze said adds four new cities and 22 new routes.

One Launch Date Still Needs Clarification

Breeze’s Feb. 9 start date for Myrtle Beach does not line up with the schedule the airline published for the route. Feb. 9, 2027, falls on a Tuesday, outside the Monday-and-Friday pattern Breeze listed.

The airport’s flights page lists February as the launch month but does not give exact dates or operating days. As of Wednesday, neither Breeze’s announcement nor the airport’s flight, airline and FAQ pages addressed the mismatch.

The Orlando date raises no such question. May 26, 2027, is a Wednesday, consistent with that route’s schedule.

Brian McCormick, director of Breeze’s airport properties, facilities and contract services, attributed Orlando’s later start to airplane availability, according to TribLive.

Fares and Booking

Breeze advertised starting one-way No Flex fares of $49 between Latrobe and Myrtle Beach and $59 between Latrobe and Orlando.

The Myrtle Beach promotion covers travel from Feb. 9 through Sept. 7, 2027. The Orlando fare applies to Wednesday travel from May 26 through Sept. 7, 2027.

Breeze said the displayed prices include taxes and government fees. It also said fares, rules, routes and schedules are subject to change without notice, and that other restrictions and blackout dates may apply.

The airport directs travelers to book on flybreeze.com using Latrobe, PA (LBE) as the departure city. The destination codes are MYR for Myrtle Beach and MCO for Orlando. Seating, baggage and change policies are set by Breeze.

Officials Welcome New Airline Service

Airport, airline and local officials quoted by TribLive welcomed the deal.

“Breeze was the best fit for us. It happened very fast … and other airlines were interested,” Maurice Haas, the airport authority’s executive director, told TribLive.

McCormick described Latrobe as a proven market for the routes.

“It’s a market that has proved itself,” he said, according to TribLive.

He also tied the timing of the deal to federal support. “Without that (grant), it might not have happened as quickly,” McCormick said.

Brian Sokol, an authority member from Rostraver, called the agreement good news for the region.

“It’s such a positive win for the airport and Westmoreland County,” Sokol said.

Michael O’Barto, chairman of the Unity supervisors, put it more simply: “This is heaven-sent.”

TribLive also reported that nearly 120,000 passengers used the airport’s Myrtle Beach and Orlando service in 2025, and that Haas put the airport’s economic impact at $200 million. Neither figure has been independently confirmed, and the report did not say when the economic estimate was made.

New Terminal and Travel Tips

Breeze passengers will use a new terminal that the airport describes as open. According to the airport, a $28 million expansion brought the terminal to 32,000 square feet. The building can hold up to 500 passengers, with parking, terminal and gate on one level. TribLive and the Latrobe Bulletin have described the project as a $22 million expansion. The airport’s website does not explain the difference.

Construction continued after Spirit’s departure left the airport without an airline, TribLive reported.

“There were a lot of questions as to why we were still building this,” County Commissioner Ted Kopas said, according to TribLive.

The airport lists free terminal Wi-Fi, wheelchair availability, a family restroom with an adult changing table, a nursing room and an indoor pet relief area after security. Breeze sets its own pet travel policy.

The airport advises travelers to arrive two hours before departure. It says ticket-counter check-in and checked-baggage acceptance close 45 minutes before scheduled departure.

Long-term parking is free, according to the airport. Preferred overnight parking in Lot A costs $4 a night, while Lots B through E remain free.

The airport sits in Unity Township, Westmoreland County, near Latrobe.