Branson Airport Says Dropping Service to Terre Haute Was a Must - Published by By Will Carter via KSPR

Story Created: Apr 8, 2010 at 4:47 PM CDT Story Updated: Apr 8, 2010 at 4:52 PM CDT Grounded before take-off. The Branson Airport said it will cancel flights to Terre Haute, Indiana...one of its newest destinations, announced just a couple of months ago. "We made the decision to terminate the route because we only had 35 people booked on the service," said Branson Airport's Executive Director Jeff Bourk. A number so low, the Branson Airport says it would have cost too much money to keep the route in service. "Every single market we go into may not respond exactly the way we want it to. Others may respond better than we anticipated," said Bourk. That's what he is hoping for by dropping the route to Terre Haute, IN. "We're learning a lot everyday. Things are progressing how we'd like them to with those routes, but to sit here and say we are not going to make mistakes, would be dishonest. We will make them," said Bourk. Branson Air Express is set to land in 6 new destinations beginning May 17th. The airport says by dropping Terre Haute, it was able to add a couple of new destinations to that list including Nashville, TN and Gulfport, MS. > We caught up with Kristi Bennett, from the Gulfport/Biloxi Airport, who says when connecting with other airports and cities, it has to be the right fit. "We have a really unique opportunity with Branson, given that we are both tourism destinations," said Bennett. But she says both airports have to keep that in mind, because airline fares come into play based on the location's draw. "Business travelers will pay a higher fare, but your families and those looking for a last minute opportunity to get away, they are looking for these lower fares like you will find on Branson Air Express," said Bennett. The Branson Airport says as the airport grows it will continue to learn what destinations best suit the market, but for now all things are a go for its new airline. "The bookings in all of our other cities are very strong, and we expect those flights to be flying come May 17th," said Bourk. The Branson Airport says ticket sales for Gulfport and Nashville already exceeded those for Terre Haute in their first week of sales. Terre Haute only sold 35 in 45 days of business. The Branson Airport says it will consider talks with Terre Haute again in the future., and all ticket sales for those flights will be refunded in full. In addition to Gulfport, MS and Nashville, TN four other destinations will take off in May. Those include Austin and Houston, TX, Des Moines, IA, and Shreveport, LA. The Branson Airport anticipates adding a couple of more destinations in the next couple of months and says if ticket sales support the current lineup, flight frequency will increase. For more on the Branson Airport's flight schedule you can visit their web page by clicking here. For more information on Gulfport or Nashville click the city's name.