Celebrating Silver Airways Inaugural Flight at NWCV Airport: Get on Board
By Julie Perine on August 07, 2012
The inaugural flight of Silver Airways at North Central West Virginia takes place Wednesday and the public is invited to watch take-off and learn about the Fort Lauderdale-based airline.
Flight time is 2:44 p.m. and destination is Washington-Dulles International, the same location to which the airport’s present carrier, United Airlines, flies on a regular basis. Offering three daily weekday flights, one Saturday flight and two Sunday flights to Dulles, the airline will operate the new flights as United Express through an ongoing agreement with United Airlines. The new route falls under the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Essential Air Services Program.
It’s yet another enhancement to an already viable travel plan for the residents of North Central West Virginia, said Mark Heefner, assistant superintendent of operations.
“We feel that our people here deserve to have quality airlines, as well as to be able to fly directly to Washington DC where there are 180 connections. They don’t have to drive to Pittsburgh and it’s only a half hour to 45-minute flight.”
Silver Airways is a success story in itself.
“They started as a small airline, just puddle jumping and then picked up Eastern Central Air Service and started taking those,” Heefner said. “Then they got the deal done with United, so basically tickets can be booked through that airline.”
On hand Wednesday from 1-3 p.m. will be Silver Airways Chief Operating Officer David Querio and Director of Sales and Business Development David Gentry.
“They’ll come and talk a little bit about the airline and be open for interviews,” Heefner said.
The company presently operates more than 150 daily scheduled flights to/from 35 gateways in Florida, the Bahamas, Georgia, Montana, Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Their fleet includes Saab 340 plus aircraft (seating 34 passengers) and Beechcraft 1900D aircraft (seating 19).
Wednesday’s event will be housed in the airport restaurant, in the facility’s upper level.
“We look forward to welcoming this new airline to our area,” said Rick Rock, airport director. “North Central West Virginia residents and businesses will benefit from the enhanced access this partnership will provide. I hope people will come on Aug. 8 to welcome them.”
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