News from a second international route of Charleston International has signaled to airport executives that their efforts to expand the offering of non-stop destinations are paying off.

Attracting more non-stop and international routes has been a growth strategy for SHC and a driver in its record number of passengers.

A billion-dollar infrastructure expansion plan is expected to prepare the airport to meet demand. For those wondering why nonstop routes are such a vital part of the future, it comes down to the data that drives airline decisions.

The information tracked by planners includes where passengers start their journey, where they end up and the cities where they had to connect.

Airlines and airports use these analytics to understand travel trends and inform their expansion decisions.

Charleston International CEO Elliott Summey said Breeze Airways‘ growing non-stop scheduleas an example, “turned heads towards CHS”.

Traditional and budget airlines have added their own non-stop routes, paving the way for both international routes for next year. In spring, AirCanada will return to CHA for its second seasonAnd BermudAir will offer the first Bermuda non-stop.

Helene Hill, chair of Charleston County Aviation Authority and CEO of Explore Charlestonsaid research has shown travelers are willing to travel up to 200 miles to catch a point-to-point flight, with data showing a fair share of Midlands residents, for example, prefer to travel to CHS for a non-stop ride rather than risk layovers and delays.

“If you’re from Colombia and you get stuck in Charlotte or Atlanta and wait for hours for a connecting flight, you’ll think, ‘Well, I could have driven to CHS and boarded a non-stop flight at that time. “So having more attractive flights starts to attract more passengers beyond the Lowcountry,” Hill said.

Summey said this increased the number of potential passengers in what is known as the catchment area – the term for the geographic area where airports attract most of their traffic – to 1.8 million, from around 800 000 for the immediate region alone.

“This is something international carriers want to see,” Summey said. “We have created a much more mature market for ourselves and for our carriers and we have better marketed ourselves and what South Carolina has to offer.”

This information also helps carriers determine which aircraft to use. When American airlines CHS switched to larger planes last year, Summey said, the result was a 32 percent increase in seats and a 16 percent reduction in flights.

Airport executives also predicted that the return of a direct flight between Charleston and Europe is only a matter of when, not if. The Lowcountry got its first taste of transatlantic travel without having to go through a major hub when British Airways offered non-stop service to London in 2019 on 787 Dreamliner. The carrier discontinued twice-weekly service the following year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Swim to the finish line

Work on the SC Aquarium Boeing Learning Lab is expected to wrap up in January and welcome students next spring, according to officials.

The $7 million renovation will transform the old Charleston Maritime Center just south of the aquarium, in a marine life education center.

The project began in July 2023. The waterfront building is being transformed into classrooms that can accommodate twice as many children as the SC Aquarium now serves through educational programs.

Search is enabled

THE Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce operated a executive search firm find your next leader.

Former CEO Karen Riordan resigned in June from the position she had held since 2018 and was recently appointed general manager from Colombia, based SC Seta national network of nearly 1,000 nonprofit organizations. Myrtle Beach Chamber Board Member Tracy Conner took his place on a provisional basis in July.

Winning partners from St. Petersburg, Florida, was selected find Permanent CEO of the group.

Mike Haggwho heads the search committee, said the chamber is looking for a “dynamic leader who understands the unique needs and goals of the Grand Strand community.”