Article provided by Tunica Convention & Visitors Bureau http://tunicamiss.org
Scheduled Non-Stop Air Service Is Coming to Tunica
TUNICA, Mississippi (March 21, 2006) —Destination Tunica and Pan Am Clipper Connection today announced the launch of regularly scheduled non-stop jet service between the Tunica Airport and Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, beginning May 2.
The new commercial air service is the first for Tunica since the recent expansion of its airport. The new schedule currently calls for three flights per week on Pan Am Clipper’s fleet of 141-seat Boeing 727 jets, branded as the Pan Am Clipper Connection.
“This is an historic day for our growing destination,” said Webster Franklin, President and CEO of the Tunica Convention & Visitors Bureau. “Bringing scheduled air service to Tunica is truly an achievement. A remarkable amount of cooperation and hard work from the Tunica Airport, Tunica County and Town of Tunica officials along with our private sector partners in the Tunica gaming industry have made this day possible. The Atlanta/Tunica route is strategically geared to increase visitor access to Tunica and Northwest Mississippi. Simultaneously, it’s a huge advantage to be able to offer access to Atlanta and beyond to our residential and business travelers in the Mid-South.”
Clifton Johnson, Tunica County Administrator, said, “In several years, we will all look back on this day as a landmark event. It marks the moment we took the first step toward introducing Tunica to the world. The sky is the limit for Destination Tunica.”
Our airport was built to support the tourism industry in Tunica,” said Cliff Nash, executive director of the Tunica County Airport Commission. “Our increased infrastructure and partnership with Pan Am is now allowing us to take the next step into scheduled air service for this area.”
Tunica, known as “The South’s Casino Capital,” is home to nine big-name casino resorts plus several new attractions. The destination is the largest casino resort between Las Vegas and Atlantic City. Tunica has 6,300 hotel rooms and suites, Vegas-style 24/7 casino gaming with more than 14,000 slot machines and 400 table games, and nightly live entertainment in the casino showrooms featuring some of the world’s best known entertainers.
David Fink, president of Pan Am Clipper Connection, said, “We are pleased to expand our services from Atlanta to one of America’s fastest-growing destinations. Tunica is a great location for entertainment and fun, and now Atlanta passengers will have fast, easy, and affordable access to Tunica through our new jet service. We are thrilled to be the first airline to connect Atlanta and Tunica.”
The new service is now available for reservations. Details on schedules and fares can be found online at www.flypanam.com, or by calling the Reservations Center at 1-800-359-7262.
The home base of the Pan Am Clipper Connection is Portsmouth, N.H. The airline also serves Orlando/Sanford, Fla.; Aguadilla, Puerto Rico; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Bedford, Mass.; Trenton, N.J.; and Boston/Portsmouth, N.H.
Five resort casino properties worked to bring the Pan Am Clipper Connection to Tunica. Gold Strike Casino Resort, Harrah’s Entertainment, which includes the Grand Casino, Sheraton, and Horseshoe Resorts, and Hollywood Casino partnered to bring Tunica to a new level with scheduled air service.
“Jet service into Tunica is key to building the destination, and we consider Atlanta to be a vital market for us," said Kathy Santiago, Gold Strike Casino Resort's vice president of casino operations. “We are grateful for the Tunica County Airport Commission's participation in promoting this new service and their on-going efforts to grow jet service into the market,” she added.
"This is a great next step in creating a national destination for Tunica, Mississippi. Tunica County is a vibrant, progressive community with visionary leadership. Harrah's Entertainment, with the Horseshoe, Sheraton and Grand Resort provides a variety of experiences for guests traveling to Tunica. With a national data base of over 40 million customers, we are pleased that we will be able to offer direct scheduled air service into the Tunica market," said Anthony Sanfilippo, President of the Central Division, Harrah’s Entertainment.
“We look forward to partnering with these efforts to increase opportunities for Destination Tunica,” said Jeff Strang, Vice-President of Marketing at Hollywood Casino. In addition to big-time gaming action, Tunica recently opened the Tunica RiverPark, which features an award-winning museum, nature trail through riverside wetlands, fresh-water aquarium, riverboat cruise and scenic overlook. Tunica is also becoming known as a golfers’ paradise with its three championship golf courses. The newest course, Tunica National Golf and Tennis Club, is home to championship golf and tennis year-round, and is a highlight on the tours of numerous pro and amateur tournaments. Cottonwoods Golf Course and River Bend Links also offer challenging courses for golf enthusiasts. The new Tunica Airport, which completed a series of expansions last year, serves charter jets as well as the new commercial air service from Pan Am. This multi-million dollar facility was the first new airport built since the new air security regulations took effect after the 9-11-01 terrorist attacks.
About Tunica
Often described as the Tunica Miracle, this destination is one of America’s fastest-growing casino resorts. Located 30 minutes south of Memphis, Tunica welcomes more than 10 million visitors annually to its nine world-class casino resorts, with more than 6,300 hotel rooms, over 40 restaurants, championship golf, outdoor recreation, museums, outlet and antique shopping, and much more. For travel information, please visit the Tunica website at www.tunicamiss.com or call Tunica at 1-888-4TUNICA.
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