Flights from Jackson to a passenger’s destination city got a lot easier following an announcement that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and Homeland Security will resume passenger screening at McKellar-Sipes Regional Airport later this year.
The announcement comes less than two weeks after Southern Airways Express LLC began providing Essential Air Service (EAS) to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
“Outgoing and departing passengers have not had this service for over 13 years in Jackson and we are about to bring it back,” said Steve Smith, McKellar-Sipes Regional Airport executive director, “Having the ability to screen passengers in Jackson allows them to disembark at Southern’s Atlanta Hartsfield gate.
“So, if you are connecting, you only have to proceed to the gate you are connecting from (and) that is big news in Jackson air travel.”
Smith said no longer does a passenger have to book two tickets.
“Southern Airways Express has interline ticketing agreements with United, American and Alaska Airlines,” Smith said, “You can actually go on United’s website for example, book a flight … let’s pick a spot – San Francisco; leave Jackson, check your baggage, fly to Atlanta, change planes and end up in San Francisco – all on one ticket and never have to touch your bags again.”
Southern Airways Express provides three daily departures to Atlanta from McKellar-Sipes Regional Airport, with fares ranging from $69 to $99 each way, as well as offering weekend seasonal flights to Destin, Florida.
“This makes life easier,” said Kyle Spurgeon, Jackson Chamber CEO, “What it also does, in my opinion, it sets this community up for being able to expand air service. Our chance for increasing passenger count just went up exponentially.”
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(PHOTO: Steve Smith, McKellar-Sipes Regional Airport executive director)
