State College Regional Airport will offer regular service to another major hub starting this fall.
American Airlines will operate two roundtrip flights daily to Charlotte Douglas International Airport beginning in October, according to a release from the State College Air Service Alliance on Monday.
Departure flights are planned for 6:35 a.m. and 4:53 p.m. most days, with arriving flights scheduled for 4:28 p.m. and 11:31 p.m., according to the Centre County Airport Authority.
“American is always looking to make it easier for our customers to explore the world and our new service between Charlotte and State College will do just that,” Jordan Pack, American’s director of Domestic Network Planning, said in a statement. “Our hub in Charlotte is among the largest in the world with flights to more than 170 destinations, including 17 destinations in Florida alone. We’re thankful for the support of the community in State College as we look forward to launching this service in the fall.”
Charlotte, which is American’s second-largest hub, has been a long sought-after destination for airport officials, local business organizations and community leaders. An earlier initiative to offer an incentive package for American to add the flights to the North Carolina airport began in 2021.
In 2025, the Chamber of Business & Industry of Centre County, the Airport Authority, the Happy Valley Adventure Bureau and Penn State formed the Air Service Alliance with the aim of coordinating efforts to maintain and expand flights at State College Regional. Charlotte was identified as a top-priority destination, along with Florida locales and Detroit to add to the airport’s current service to Chicago, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.
Monday’s announcement marked a major win for the alliance and a major expansion of the airport’s service, connecting to a hub that offers more than 670 domestic and international flights daily.
“Through hard work, community collaboration, and a shared commitment to strengthening connectivity in Centre County, we built toward this moment strategically and intentionally,” Greg Scott, President and CEO of the CBICC, said in a statement. “Since forming the Alliance last October, our partners have worked together to conduct research, engage airline representatives, gather community support, and demonstrate the demand that exists in this market. Today’s announcement is an exciting milestone for the future of our region.”
Part of the alliance’s work includes the Fly State College Fund, with contributions from organizations and community members to provide incentive packages for things such as marketing support and waiving fees for a defined period as a way to reduce startup costs for airlines to add and expand service.
American was offered a “competitive package designed to support the early stages of the route and strengthen the long-term success of expanded air service at SCE,” according to the alliance.
“This significant advancement for our community is a result of dedicated work to demonstrate regional demand and grow air service in Centre County,” Mark Higgins, Centre County Board of Commissioners Chair, said. “This expansion impacts our region’s economic vitality by attracting businesses, strengthening workforce, and making it more attainable for residents to reach major hub airports, making this new nonstop service a pivotal development for Central Pennsylvania.”
The addition is welcome news for several industries in the county.
More flight options are “critical” to tourism growth, said Eric Engelbarts, president and CEO of the Happy Valley Adventure Bureau.
“Flights to and from Charlotte present an incredible opportunity to showcase Centre County to a broader audience and welcome more visitors to our region,” Engelbarts said.
For Penn State, the county’s largest employer, the addition of a new hub destination supports faculty recruitment, student travel, research activity and visits to the University Park campus.
“As an institution with a global reach, this expansion in air service to such a critical international hub is excellent and welcome news for our students, faculty and staff who have commitments away from the Centre Region,” Michael Wade Smith, senior vice president for external affairs and chief of staff at Penn State, said. “It also will allow our corporate partners, alumni and donors to engage more efficiently with the University, so we are grateful for the collaboration behind the State College Air Service Alliance and look forward to the future growth it will bring to the State College Regional Airport.”
The Charlotte flights mark continued growth for the airport, which last year had its highest post-COVID passenger activity and second-highest ever with more than 148,000 enplanements.
“The Airport Authority is proud to welcome this expanded American Airlines service at the State College Regional Airport,” said Ralph Stewart, Interim Executive Director of the Centre County Airport Authority. “The Fly State College Fund, a community-led incentive pool supported by Penn State, local governments, businesses, and individual contributors, played an important role in strengthening our incentive package and helping make this route a reality.”
While the alliance continues its efforts to expand service, United, which operates flights to and from Chicago, is adding an additional 26,000 seats over the previous year, according to the Airport Authority.
The alliance also submitted a federal Small Communities Air Service Development Program grant application seeking $800,000 to support expanded service, and a decision is expected in the fall.
A low-cost airline signed a letter of support indicating it would explore service from State College to Florida if the grant is awarded, according to Monday’s release. (Officials said last year that Breeze Airways was considering flights from State College to Orlando.)
The Airport Authority is also working to modernize payment options for parking and to make other improvements to make flying more convenient.
