Tallahassee Regional Airport recently achieved international commercial status, and will now be known as Tallahassee International Airport.
There are 22 commercial airports in the state of Florida, and Tallahassee will be the 19th airport with international availability for customers. The airport’s change in status will increase flight traffic and attract potential businesses that are looking to operate out of florida with an international airport in close proximity.
“Based on the direction we were headed, it was important to make sure we were able to be a competitive international commercial state airport. International airport status would help us attract more customers,” said Chris Curry, TLH Director of Aviation. “We will start the transition in April, but it may take a full three to four years before international flights are available.”
The airport is also going through rebranding and marketing to update its current logo and tagline, so that it reflects the new international designation.
An international airport in Tallahassee will also increase the city’s local economy due to it’s ability to bring in more visitors from more areas,said William Guerilus, a professor of economics at Florida A&M University.
"It will certainly be economically beneficial for the city of Tallahassee." Guerilus said. "The city naturally will have to make the necessary investments such as more roads, lanes, and other necessary investments to accommodate the expected increase in traffic that will be flowing through the city as a result of the airport becoming international. However, the airport will be economically beneficial in the long-run. More traffic flowing through the city means more stops at the grocery stores and gas stations. Thus, more revenue for the city both on the private side as well as the public side.”
Although residents may not see international flights or the benefits of an increased economy for a few years, students are still excited about the change. Ke’Juana Quinn, a junior FAMU healthcare management student from Orlando, plans on attending graduate school and living in Tallahassee for several more years.
“I have family in Japan and it would be nice to visit them more often than I am able to do now,” Quinn said. “It get’s more expensive to fly out of Tallahassee because it’s such a small airport and it doesn’t always take you directly to your location, so traveling out of Tallahassee can be a hassle. I’m very excited about expanding my traveling endeavors and maybe being able to visit my family more often.”