Destin Fort Walton Beach Airport

Destin–Fort Walton Beach Airport began life as part of the Eglin Air Force Base complex in the 1930s and opened to commercial traffic in the mid-20th century; today it operates from a single compact passenger terminal serving roughly 10–12 gates and is the main civilian gateway to Florida’s Emerald Coast. The airport is modest in size but punches above its weight during peak beach season, offering easy highway access and short drives—about 15–30 minutes—to Fort Walton Beach, Destin and surrounding resort areas, with rental cars, shuttles and regional bus links available. Not a major hub, it functions as a focus gateway for Allegiant and handles regular seasonal service from Southwest, American, Delta and United; fares are often affordable thanks to low-cost and seasonal routes, though prices can rise in summer and holidays.