By the end of the day, the annual Allegiant Airline Conference will wrap up in Las Vegas. Later this year, North Central West Virginia Airport Director Rick Rock is hoping that there will be positive news from the airline about adding more flights to the existing services or perhaps even adding a new destination flight.

 

“This is when we pitch our ideas to the leadership at Allegiant to try and enhance our existing service and possibly add a new destination,” said Rock.

 

Rock arrived for the conference this week. It started Tuesday and he was joined by Bridgeport Mayor Robert “Bob” Greer, who sits on the Benedum Airport Authority – the airport’s governing body.

 

This isn’t Rock’s first conference. If he lands something from the conference, that also won’t be a first.

 

In the past, Rock has used strong numbers on the destination flights from Bridgeport to Orlando and later Myrtle Beach to convince the airline to do more. In fact, the strong numbers on the flights to Orlando led not only to additional months added to the flight service, but also added to additional flights during the week.

 

“Those early Orlando numbers were the reason we were able to get into the Myrtle Beach market after one of these conferences,” said Rock.

 

After one of the most recent conference, Allegiant agreed to extend the Myrtle Beach flight program by nearly two months. Flights to the South Carolina destination will begin June 1 and continue to Sept. 30. In the first year of that flight, the service ended in mid-August.

 

“What the week consists of us speaking with the managers of Allegiant and letting them know how well we’re doing and to see if there’s a possibility of getting more,” said Rock. “The really positive thing is that we don’t have to go in feeling like we don’t have a track record. We have a track record of success.”

 

Rock emphasized that even with the strong numbers – particularly huge recent numbers on Orlando service at near capacity for the entire month of March – that it doesn’t guarantee anything will happen. He said it ultimately comes down to doing what’s in the best interest of Allegiant and the NCWV Airport and see if that works for maintaining existing service, expanding it or adding new services.

 

“Talks (took) place about more flights to Orlando because we continually have a good response from the community,” said Rock. “Myrtle Beach is really strong during the peak season, but not as strong at the end. The numbers are good, but we’re looking at maybe an additional flight during that peak season.”

 

Rock said that, once again, he broached on the airport’s behalf destination service to Tampa-St. Petersburg as well as Punta Gorda.

 

“We know people would like flights to all kinds of destinations, but you go in looking for the flights based on regional traffic from other airports and looking at areas where people from West Virginia have second homes or have relocated,” said Rock. “Those areas are not only heavy with that demographic, but they are also areas where Allegiant flies.”

 

Rock said Allegiant is transitioning into new aircraft. He said he doesn’t know how that will impact – positive or negative – any decision coming from the three-day conference.

 

“Our destination service is doing well through Allegiant, which we hope to have the same reliability eventually with our daily service once we get that squared away. With the destination service, it’s a marathon and not a sprint,” said Rock. “As long as the community continues to respond to what we’re offering already, there’s a better chance we’re going to remain a contender in the marathon.

 

“Hopefully, we’ll hear good news,” Rock continued. “At worst, you hope things stay the same and barring something really unusual I think we’ve done a good job through our community of assuring things will at least stay the same.”

 

Editor's Note: Top and bottom photos show Allegiant Aircraft, while NCWV Director Rick Rock is shown in the middle.