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BRIDGEPORT – Spring is in full swing in north-central West Virginia, which means the holiday season is coming soon.
Those planning a getaway this summer will have a whole host of extra travel options thanks to the North Central West Virginia Airport through a more comprehensive program.
The deputy director of the airport, Shawn Long, said that the summer schedule will begin at the end of May, with additional trips to some of the most popular holiday destinations of the region, via the Allegiant Air carrier.
"May 31 marks the kickoff of our summer schedule, which is scheduled to begin with three flights a week to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and three flights a week to the US. Orlando Sanford International Airport (Orlando, Florida), "he said.
This year's vacationers will have more dates than last year, said Long.
"Last year, we had two each (every week)," he said. "So we were able to add an extra round trip to both sites this summer."
The flights of previous years to Myrtle and Orlando proved to be a great success, said Long.
"Our flights to Myrtle Beach are doing well every summer with our flying loads," he said. "Orlando has been great for us, too, historically."
While Myrtle and Orlando flights are popular again this summer, airport officials hope to add even more dates, Long said.
"Our goal is always to see how we can continue to develop our air service just to make it better for our pbadengers who choose to leave here," he said.
Those looking to take a new flight at the airport will not have to wait until the end of May. An additional flight to Dulles International Airport in Washington, DC, from the SkyWest Airlines carrier will begin Saturday, announced Long.
"We plan to start on May 4," he said. "Tickets are on sale right now."
The additional flight is covered by a guarantee shared by six local entities.
The agreement states that the entities – including the city of Clarksburg, the city of Bridgeport and the Harrison County Commission – will provide funding to the airport through an air services agreement with the mid-Atlantic aerospace complex. These funds cover airport flights by ensuring that funds are allocated to cover minimum revenue agreements with carriers.
Entities have agreed to share the burden of $ 180,000 if the flight does not sell enough tickets to meet its quota.
The recently finalized agreement replaces an older agreement in which the entities agreed to split the cost of a $ 300,000 guarantee.
According to the former mayor, the city of Clarksburg had pledged up to $ 50,000 a year, but had to pay only $ 470.60 last year. , according to Mayor Cathy Goings.
The new flight brings the airport seven daily round trips to DC, Long said.
"We are seven days a week at the hotel and seven days a week at the Chicago O'Hare International Airport," he said. "Offering a service seven days a week on both sites is a very good thing for our flying community."
Ron Watson, president of the Benedum Airport Authority, the body that governs the airport, said the three new flights would help the airport achieve its annual boarding goal. 45,000 people.
"I think it's not unrealistic that more than 40,000 landings are occurring this year," he said. "We have already exceeded 10,000 arrivals."
The airport, which struggled to meet minimum pbadenger quotas a few years ago, served more than 35,000 pbadengers in 2018. According to its director, Rick Rock, the airport had exceeded 35,000 pbadengers for the last time.
Watson said he hoped the new flight to Washington would attract enough pbadengers to become self-sufficient.
"We tried this a few years ago with the Chicago flight when the six entities hired $ 50,000 each to make sure we could do that flight," he said. "In the end, we only had to pay around $ 400 each, and this flight is now autonomous and continues." We hope the same thing will happen with the flight to British Columbia. "
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