Gulf Shores International Airport is preparing for a busy summer season with new destinations and expanded service expected to roll out in the coming weeks.

Speaking at a Gulf Shores City Council meeting Monday, April 20, Airport Director Jesse Fosnaugh said the airport, which opened for commercial travel in May 2025, will soon grow its route network.

“We’re getting ready for the summer,” Fosnaugh said. “In about four weeks or so, we’re about to add five more destinations to our route map, which is really exciting, bringing us to 13 nonstop destinations and 30 flights a week.”

First reported by GCM in November 2025, the new seasonal routes will be between Gulf Shores and Springfield, Missouri (SGF), Louisville, Kentucky (SDF), Huntsville, Alabama (HSV), Omaha, Nebraska (OMA) and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (OKC). They will run twice a week through summer into mid-August.

The expansion comes as officials anticipate increased passenger traffic during peak tourism season along the Alabama Gulf Coast. Fosnaugh said the airport is implementing additional operational measures to handle the expected demand.

“We’re going to be busy,” he said. “We put a lot of operational measures in at the airport, some kind of music and food to be out there. There’s more to come on that, but really just getting lined up for the summer, and we’re excited.”

The airport is planning a $15 million terminal expansion to include new gate areas, expanded baggage claim and increased curb frontage for vehicle access, GCM previously reported. Groundbreaking was tentatively planned at the time for this summer, with completion targeted for May 2027.

Gabriella Chavez is a Report for America corps member who writes about growth and development in Baldwin County and our natural spaces for Gulf Coast Media. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep her writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today by visiting https://tinyurl.com/yaf8yf5n.