Latest news with #ParkerMcClellan
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
ECP celebrates 15 years of service to the panhandle
PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WMBB) – Memorial Day is the unofficial start of summer, which means the start of summer travel, but that's not the only reason ECP officials celebrated on Friday. On May 23, 2010, the first plane took off from the Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport's runway. Since then, the airport has served nearly 2 million passengers; a 501% increase that airport officials could have never expected. 'It's just grown year over year over a year faster than I think anybody anticipated. The last few years, we've been discovered and we've gotten more popular than I think we thought we were. So right now, it's a matter of trying to keep up with that while we also grow in a much bigger way,' Airport Authority Vice Chair Will Kramer said. Since its opening, the airport has added 500 parking spaces, a larger baggage claim area, and is looking to expand the completed terminal build-out. However, the airport wasn't always popular and it wasn't widely accepted by the community when it was first built. 'It was a difficult process for my predecessors and the board and prior to with because the airport wasn't really and nobody wanted it. And look where we are today. We've got the four legacy airlines. We've got new cities every year,' ECP Executive Director Parker McClellan said. But ECP is growing in more ways than one. Just a few months after they announced the first ever set of direct summer flights to Laguardia Airport in New York, the airport confirmed direct flights to LGA would become a permanent, daily service starting in November. They also have expanded direct flights to Texas with Southwest and Delta. With more flights, officials are looking to grow their food options for the influx of passengers. Officials have discussed adding a sit-down restaurant and two to three other vending options, which could make way for local offerings inside the airport. No decision on that has been made. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
ECP officials announce more daily nonstop flights to NYC
BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – Northwest Florida Beaches International is about to offer non-stop summer flights to New York City. Delta will offer weekly non-stop Saturday flights to LaGuardia beginning in June and running through Labor Day. The flights will be daily from June 28 and run through July 6 to accommodate July 4 holiday travelers. Lake DeFuniak to come alive with 'Lakefest' festivities However, those looking for more regular service to the Big Apple are about to get their wish. Delta just announced it plans to offer non-stop daily flights to LaGuardia beginning this fall. 'November 6th will begin daily service to LaGuardia with a regional jet. That's huge for this community. Delta recognizes that there's a demand for people from New York coming here, and for us to go back to New York. So all that's a great thing,' ECP Executive Director Parker McClellan said. Right now, those new daily non-stop flights are scheduled from November to May. McClellan said if the demand is there, it could continue beyond May. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Yahoo
REAL ID enforcement begins, travelers without are still allowed to fly
BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – The REAL ID enforcement deadline is officially here. Beginning Wednesday, TSA is looking for the star at the top of the driver's licenses of domestic flight passengers. The initiative has been in the works for about two decades. It serves as a higher standard of identification for security reasons. 'That was a result of what was identified during 911, that there were some ways to validate identities. So what they've done is delayed this project for several years, probably six or seven times,' ECP Executive Director Parker McClellan said. But even if you're not REAL ID-ready, you'll still be allowed to fly. Other forms of identification are accepted, or passengers may just have an extra step when going through security. 'They have procedures in place to make sure that we still have a smooth operation. But there will be potentially some additional screening if you don't have a REAL ID. Compliant I.D.,' McClellan said. You might already have a REALID without realizing it. Many states have been issuing REAL ID-compliant cards for years. 'More than 81% of the country is compliant, and in Florida, it's 90%. So, it's the visitors that we have concerns about,' McClellan said. However, there were no security delays at Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport on the first day of REAL ID. There were minimal delays at airports nationwide. While Wednesday marked the enforcement deadline, there is still time to get a real ID. Just visit the DMV in person to apply. Here's the full list of other acceptable forms of identification or more information on how to apply for a real ID: U.S. passport or U.S. passport card Cards from Department of Homeland Security trusted traveler programs U.S. Department of Defense ID, including IDs issued to military dependents Permanent resident card Border crossing card Photo ID issued by a federally recognized tribal nation or Native American tribe Federal employee or contractor ID card Passport issued by a foreign government Canadian provincial driver's license or ID card issued to Indigenous people in Canada Transportation worker identification credential U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services employment authorization card U.S. merchant mariner credential Veteran health identification card Florida REAL ID requirements. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Is your driver's license REAL ID ready? What to know before May 7 deadline
BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – Is your driver's license REAL ID ready? You have two weeks to make the switch before the Transportation Security Administration requires REAL IDs for domestic flights. The federally mandated switch was signed into law in 2005, four years after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Starting on May 7th, driver's licenses won't be accepted to get through airport security, unless they are REAL ID-compliant. However, a REAL ID is not mandatory to get through TSA. If you do not upgrade your license, you can use a passport or other acceptable forms of identification to fly. To check if your license is a REAL ID compliant, look for a star in the top left corner. 'The easiest way to check and see if you're compliant is in the upper right-hand corner. There's either gold or a black star on your driver's license, I.D., or whatever you're using. If you're using a passport, it will not have that military ID. But any driver's license or state-issued ID, if they have it, you can be compliant. If you do not have that on May 7, I expect that it's going to take longer to get through the checkpoint,' ECP Executive Director Parker McClellan said. McClellan says the United States is 81% REAL ID-compliant, and the state of Florida is 90% compliant. To get a REAL ID, you must bring proof of identity, proof of social security number, and proof of residency to your local driver's license service center or tax collector's office. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
