Beginning today, Panama City airport patrons have a new destination option: Charlotte, N.C.

US Airways will operate three daily flights between the two cities, although today?s schedule calls for only two outbound flights, airport officials said.

The airline?s inaugural flight is scheduled to leave the Panama City-Bay County International Airport

at 11:37 a.m., with a second flight at 4:27 p.m., said Randy Curtis, executive director of the airport. Beginning Monday, three flights will depart each day: at 6:37 a.m., 11:37 a.m. and 4:27 p.m. On their Web site Saturday, U.S. Airways quoted a one-way price of $467, not including taxes and fees.

Return flights out of Charlotte will arrive at 10:47 a.m., 3:40 p.m. and 8:39 p.m., according to the airline?s Web site.

?This is very positive,? Curtis said of US Airways? return to the airport. ?It provides expanded service levels and additional competition which should help the airfare situation.?

US Airways will join Northwest Airlink and Delta Connection at the Panama City airport. US Airways Express, which operated under an agreement with US Airways, discontinued service to Panama City in 2005.

US Airways? ticket booth will be adjacent to the Northwest counter, Curtis said.

?We?re running out (of space). Actually, all the other space is occupied,? Curtis said.

The Airport Authority is building a new $330 million airport in West Bay that is expected to open in two years.

A U.S. Department of Transportation, or DOT, grant lured the new carrier to the Panama City airport, Curtis said. In 2007, airport officials obtained the $575,000 grant to help bring in carriers and expand existing service in Panama City. The DOT grant will be matched in part with $28,750 in funds from the Airport Authority and ?in-kind? local contributions of $275,450. The money and contributions will enable the airport to waive, or significantly reduce, start-up and marketing costs for US Airways and other carriers

who come to town, or current carriers that expand their service.

?They (US Airways) will be eligible for marketing

support through the agreement,? Curtis said.

Curtis said Saturday that airport officials and DOT have not yet determined how much money or ?in-kind? contributions would be given to US Airways.

Other carriers could be coming to Panama City in the near future, Curtis said.

?I think that the possibility exists that we could have some more,? he said, without elaborating