From The Beach to the Big Apple

Between tourism and a growing population of retirees and snowbirds with second homes in the region, many travelers are looking forward to ditching the layover on their way to the beach. A nonstop flight from Panama City to New York City will be a boon to the local economy, providing an influx of customers and clients for businesses and entrepreneurs.

Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport (ECP) Executive Director Parker McClellan is known among airline officials as “Mr. Sandman.” When meeting with various airlines to recruit new service to ECP, he takes to his meetings a small chest of alabaster sand straight off the gorgeous beaches for which the Florida Panhandle is renowned.

“At these meetings, this chest is passed around so airline representatives can literally play in the sand,” Parker McClellan says. “We realize the beach is a big part of what attracts visitors, but I like to let them know it comes with Southern hospitality and a beautiful region with a culture that we’re finding to be in significant demand as a travel destination.”

Recently, this attracted the attention of Delta Air Lines, Inc., who, as of this past summer on June 14, introduced a new, nonstop flight between ECP and New York-LaGuardia Airport (LGA) in New York City.

McClellan says negotiations for a nonstop flight to New York have been in the making since 2011. Boasting over 30 years of experience in aviation management, he has been instrumental in expanding ECP’s appeal as what he calls “not just a destination, but an origination.”

Photo by Black & Hue Photography

2024 was a record-breaking year, as Parker spearheaded efforts to land new, nonstop routes to Austin, Texas and Boston. “When we closed the old airport in downtown Panama City, we would have around 312,000 to 325,000 passengers annually,” he says. “Last year, we recorded just under 1.9 million passengers—a 501% growth.”

With the addition of this new service, and factoring in global and economic considerations, McClellan anticipates at least a small growth, or at least the same success in 2025, saying, “At the end of the day, the addition of this flight and some of our other nonstops during the summer continue to show a really good performance.”

Flights to and from LGA on Delta’s CRJ-900 aircraft originated as a once-a-week, seasonal Saturday service for the 2025 summer season, a popular event that also supplies nonstop travel to other major cities such as Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Chicago, and Denver.

But, come November 6, departures to the city that never sleeps will be a daily offering.

Photo by Black & Hue Photography

“We were excited that, before the inaugural flight even took off this summer, Delta announced that there was a strong enough demand to commence a daily service in November,” McClellan says. “For them to overfly their hub in Atlanta is a huge commitment from Delta and speaks to the desire of the Northeast and New York to come visit the beautiful beaches of our community.”

One of the most-awarded and successful airlines in the United States, Delta is devoted to making the flight as comfortable and accommodating as possible for its passengers. The year-round service will carry travelers on an Embraer 175 aircraft with multi-class amenities, something McClellan claims “keeps people happy.”

McClellan explained that ECP will continue to market the region. He is devoted to meeting with existing airlines as well as new ones to secure destinations, saying that as the airport continues to grow, the expansion will affect the local economy. The ECP will continue to nurture business in and around the airport to benefit aviation and the community with the diversity of its employers.

“There is no stopping us now,” McClellan says. “We don’t sit back on our laurels and say, ‘Well we finally got New York, so I guess we’re done.’ No, we want people to come see us but want to continue to provide the opportunity for our residents to get out there and experience new places as well.”