Contour Airlines Launches First-Ever Nonstop Vacation Flight From Altoona, Pennsylvania, to Myrtle Beach

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. — JULY 7, 2026  |  THOMAS BEACH VACATIONS

The seasonal service, operating Wednesdays and Saturdays through August 22, cuts a ten-hour drive to a 110-minute flight and makes Myrtle Beach International Airport’s tenth airline.

Contour Airlines launched the first nonstop flight to a vacation destination in the history of the Altoona-Blair County Airport on Wednesday, July 1, when a 30-seat regional jet departed the central Pennsylvania airport at 1:15 p.m. and touched down at Myrtle Beach International Airport at 3:05 p.m. — one hour and fifty minutes from the Allegheny Ridge to the Atlantic Ocean. The seasonal route will operate twice weekly on Wednesdays and Saturdays through August 22, 2026, with fares starting at $139 each way.

The new service makes Contour the tenth commercial airline serving Myrtle Beach International Airport, joining Allegiant, American, Avelo, Breeze, Delta, Frontier, Southwest, Sun Country and United. Contour entered the MYR market on June 3 with flights from Beckley, West Virginia, and added routes from both Altoona and Parkersburg, West Virginia, on July 1.

The inaugural flight drew a crowd at Blair County Airport, where passengers described the experience as a long-overdue alternative to a drive that typically runs ten hours through Virginia and the Carolinas. According to reporting from the Altoona Mirror, one Johnstown woman originally planned to fly from the Arnold Palmer Regional Airport near Latrobe but had to change plans after Spirit Airlines ceased all operations in May. She rebooked through Blair County instead and planned to spend three weeks celebrating her 60th birthday in Myrtle Beach, where her brother owns a home. Another family told WTAJ that living minutes from the airport turned what used to be a full day of travel into a short hop, freeing up the evening for dinner on the coast instead of a rest stop in Virginia.

Airport manager Tracy Plessinger told the Altoona Mirror that roughly 70 percent of seats on the summer schedule were already sold before the first flight departed. Plessinger called the route a major milestone for Blair County and said he hopes the strong response will persuade Contour to bring the seasonal service back in 2027, potentially with an expanded schedule or additional destinations.

Filling a Gap After Spirit’s Closure

The Altoona route arrives at a moment of transition for air service along the Grand Strand. Spirit Airlines, which had served Myrtle Beach for nearly 30 years and at one point accounted for roughly half of the airport’s total passenger traffic, ceased all operations on May 2, 2026. The shutdown eliminated six direct routes from MYR, including the only service to the Arnold Palmer Regional Airport near Latrobe — a gap that pushed some central Pennsylvania travelers toward Blair County.

MYR officials had spent several years diversifying the carrier roster in advance, adding Southwest, Avelo and Breeze and reducing Spirit’s share of total traffic from about 50 percent in 2020 to roughly 23 percent by 2025. Since Spirit’s closure, Breeze Airways has announced 17 new nonstop routes for summer 2026, and other carriers have increased frequencies on existing routes. Airport Director Judi Olmstead said in a statement that the airport remains confident in MYR’s resilience due to the deliberate steps taken to foster a balanced and competitive air service environment.

About the Route

Contour Airlines, headquartered in Smyrna, Tennessee, operates the route using a 30-seat regional jet that includes extra legroom and complimentary snacks and beverages on every flight. The outbound flight departs Altoona at 1:15 p.m. and arrives in Myrtle Beach at 3:05 p.m. The return flight departs MYR at 3:45 p.m. and arrives in Altoona at 5:35 p.m. Parking at Blair County Airport is free, and the small terminal allows passengers to clear TSA and board in a fraction of the time required at larger regional hubs like Pittsburgh or Baltimore.

Contour Airlines President Ben Munson said in a press release that the route gives the Altoona community a convenient way to reach the South Carolina coast without the hassle of driving to larger airports. Morgan Koziar, Director of Marketing and Operations for Discover Blair County, called the addition a major win for families throughout central Pennsylvania and a showcase for the value of the local airport.

The airline already operates year-round service from Altoona to Charlotte Douglas International Airport and recorded record enplanements at Blair County in 2025 — surpassing 10,000 passengers for the first time since 2002. That milestone raised the airport’s federal funding entitlement under the FAA Airport Improvement Program from roughly $150,000 to $1.3 million, enabling more significant facility upgrades. Contour also maintains interline partnerships with Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, JetBlue and United, allowing passengers to book connecting itineraries through larger hubs when needed.

North Myrtle Beach Is a Short Drive From the Airport

Passengers arriving at MYR on the 3:05 p.m. flight can be at a North Myrtle Beach vacation rental within the hour. The airport sits roughly 20 to 30 minutes south of North Myrtle Beach by car, with Windy Hill, the southernmost of North Myrtle Beach’s four beach sections, being the closest to MYR. From there the city stretches north through the quieter residential blocks of Crescent Beach, the shag-dancing heart of Ocean Drive, and up to the marsh-front calm of Cherry Grove Beach at the northern tip.

For families flying in from Altoona, the Wednesday-Saturday schedule pairs well with mid-week arrivals and weekend departures — three, four or seven nights in an oceanfront home or oceanfront condo with a full kitchen, a balcony over the sand, and none of the ten hours of interstate that used to be the price of admission.

Sources: Contour Airlines press release, PR Newswire (June 4, 2026); Altoona Mirror, “Contour adds flights to Myrtle Beach for the summer” (June 4, 2026); Altoona Mirror, “Myrtle Beach flight earns high marks for convenience” (July 2026); WTAJ News, inaugural flight report by Kaylee Whitlatch (July 1, 2026); The Post and Courier Myrtle Beach, “Contour Airlines now offers flights in Myrtle Beach” by Nicole Ziege (June 5, 2026); MyHorryNews, “Contour Airlines begins flights from Myrtle Beach” (June 5, 2026); Myrtle Beach International Airport official statement on Spirit Airlines cessation (May 2, 2026). Flight times, fares and schedules verified as of July 2026 and subject to change; confirm current information with Contour Airlines at (888) 332-6686 or contourairlines.com.