Johnstown flights could soon go to BWI instead of Dulles

Commercial flights from a regional airport in western Pennsylvania could soon be connecting with Baltimore-Washington Thurgood Marshall International Airport instead of Washington-Dulles International Airport.

The (Johnstown) Tribune-Democrat reports the airport authority voted Thursday to pursue the switch involving Southern Airways Express Flights from the John Murtha Johnstown-Cambria County Airport.

The airport authority says Dulles plans to raise their gate fees, meaning ticket costs will rise unless the flights start heading to BWI.

Southern Airways is pursuing an interline agreement with American Airlines, which has a large presence at BWI and has already asked the U.S. Department of Transportation for permission to change the routes.

Officials say although BWI is farther from Washington, D.C. than Dulles, the public transit from BWI is better and BWI has more nonstop destinations and better fares than flying through Pittsburgh.

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Information from: The Tribune-Democrat, http://www.tribune-democrat.com