Erin Grant
Staff Writer
The Lakeland Linder International airport has a lot of exciting new expansion that’s expected to benefit both FSC students and the Lakeland community. With new flight routes coming to the airport and other expansion efforts, patrons can expect more travel options and greater convenience right in Lakeland.
Prices for travel start at a range of $29 and soar up to $264 for round-trip flights. The airport is also roughly a fifteen minute drive from FSC and the airport offers free parking.
The history of the Lakeland Linder International Airport goes all the way back to 1942, when it operated as a WWII training facility. After the war, the airport was classified as surplus and taken over by the City of Lakeland. Decades later, the city revamped airport operations and brought the SUN n’ FUN Aerospace Expo, now the second largest air show in the U.S., to Lakeland.
Backed by the rich history, the only direction for the Lakeland airport is up. In the last few years, Lakeland Linder has invested in several improvements and expansions. Assistant Director Adam Lunn expressed his excitement for the recent changes.
“We’re starting to see new companies come to the field and we’re starting to see new flight schools come as well,” Lunn said.
New partnerships with these up and coming flight schools like Central Florida Aerospace Academy and Polk State college has also allowed the airport to diversify their mission and train the next generation of aviators.
One of the most exciting developments is the new partnership with Avelo Airlines, bringing new highly anticipated routes to the Lakeland community. These new routes will offer students and the Lakeland community as a whole access to new destinations like North Carolina, Puerto Rico, Atlanta, Connecticut, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Delaware.
To accommodate this expansion, the airport has diversified their transit and parking options as well. Rental cars, Rideshare and the Citrus Connection are all available directly from the airport. If patrons need to park their car for the duration of their stay, there’s a nearby paved parking lot that is free of charge.
In addition to the current innovations, the airport also has big plans for the future. Looking ahead, the airport is choosing to focus on “the diversification of [their] current services and obtaining a maintenance and overhaul facility.” Plans are also in place for the creation of a larger terminal to accommodate future growth. Long-term, Lunn shared that the airport hopes to begin construction on a parallel runway to “handle increased air traffic and reduce delays.”
While other businesses might shift their values as they expand, Lakeland is committed to staying true to their roots.
“We don’t want to be the next Tampa or the next Orlando. We want to be Lakeland, and we want to be the best Lakeland we can be,” Lunn said.
For FSC students, the new routes mean more accessible travel options to vacations and trips back home. With expanded travel options and convenient free parking, students have the opportunity to take advantage of a smaller airport that’s committed to the Lakeland community. Sophomore Angela Revels says that Lakeland Linder was a convenient option for her Thanksgiving travels to Delaware.
“It was a great experience … I got to just walk right in and check in and go straight to the gate,” Revels said. “It was also really cheap.”
In March, biweekly flights to Nashville, Tennessee will be added.
