Buffalo-to-Chicago air service increasing

Air service between Buffalo Niagara International Airport and some popular destinations is about to become even more frequent with two airlines adding more flights.

Officials from the Niagara Transportation Authority, operators of the airport, said Southwest Airlines will be adding a second, direct daily flight between Buffalo and Las Vegas and two more direct flights to Chicago's Midway Airport. Both will start later this spring.

Southwest will now have four daily, direct flights between Buffalo and Midway.

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The scheduling changes were announced during Monday's NFTA Board of Commissioners meeting.

Also, United Airlines is adding two more, direct flights to Chicago's O'Hare International Airport.

In the meantime, Myrtle Beach Direct airlines, which flies out of Niagara Falls International Airport is adjusting its summer schedule by dropping its weekly flights to St. Petersburg, Fla., but replacing it with additional flights to Myrtle Beach. The airline flies from Niagara Falls on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. With scheduling shift, Myrtle Beach will have five weekly flights leaving from Niagara Falls -- one of its busiest routes, NFTA officials said.

In other action:

• The NFTA agreed to run a shuttle service from the Summit Park Mall in Wheatfield to downtown Niagara Falls during the busy summer, peak tourism months.

The NFTA ran the trolley service last summer and it carried 24,600 passengers during its five-month run. The service will cost approximately $190,715 to operate with the City of Niagara Falls reimbursing the NFTA for the costs through a one percent surcharge on the city's bed tax.

The service will run from May 16 through Oct. 13.

"It proved to be very successful last year," said Lawrence Meckler, NFTA executive director.

• NFTA officials announced that a May 16 date has been set for the ground breaking on the 68,000-square-foot, $29 million passenger terminal at Niagara Falls International Airport. The new terminal is expected to open next year.
• NFTA commissioners also heard that a final architectural presentation for proposed renovations to downtown Buffalo's bus terminal should on the docket for June. The terminal renovation project could cost anywhere from $13 million to $19 million, depending on the final design and whether the NFTA can obtain private sector funds for state-of-the-art video and display terminals both inside and outside the building.

The terminal handles between 4,000 and 4,500 bus passengers on a daily basis including those using NFTA routes as well as commercial service from the likes of Greyhound.

"I'd like to see it develop towards the $19 million end," said NFTA Chairman Gregory Stamm. "I think everyone could benefit from a terminal with a little pizazz."

If approved, the renovations could start by the fall of 2009.