Some 115 veterans and guardians will leave South Alabama Regional Airport Saturday at 7 a.m., for the Covington Region Honor Flight.
“This is a very historic and monumental event for Covington County as this will be the first ever commercial passenger flight out of this regional airport,” Covington Region Honor Flight president Tonitta Sauls said. “Not only are we celebrating the accomplishments of raising enough money to charter a flight to Washington, D.C. for our veterans, our heroes, but we are flying out of our small regional airport that just in the past year has a runway that an aircraft of this nature can safely land and take off.”
Those going on the trip will fly on a Boeing 737 from SARA to Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C. before taking chartered buses to the monuments.
Honor Flight organizers are expecting a large crowd for both the send off and the welcome home.
“The veterans and guardians deserve a great send off and a fabulous welcome home,” Sauls said. “Our heroes deserve to be honored.”
The flight is expected to return to SARA around 7:30 p.m. Saturday, but gates will re-open at 6 p.m. for visitors.