Two weeks ago, I wrote a blog on the process in which developments (and using the mall as an example) try to lure clients to their properties. The blog was fairly well received with thousands of hits and plenty of social media interaction.

 

The purpose of the blog was to try to assure folks that getting their favorite brand of restaurant or the clothing store they desire in to town wasn’t a matter of not trying. The process was explained by one an executive representing one of the biggest retail establishments in the nation and, for most, it helped solve the riddle as to why Macy’s and Red Lobster aren’t coming to town in the near future.

 

Of course, as I predicted, many would not even read the blog – or even worse – or actually read it and comment exactly about why stores weren’t coming. It, of course, happened.

 

Because of that, I wanted to tread cautiously before I wrote this week’s blog. I am certain it’s going to happen again even with a different topic, but here I go.

 

Due to the constantly changing nature of it and the massive interest in it, whenever there is news regarding the status of air service at the North Central West Virginia Airport, we run it. If NCWV Airport Director Rick Rock is going to a conference to pitch extensions to existing services or even new routes, we let the public know.

 

Without fail, poster ponder why the airport doesn’t have flights to Pittsburgh, Charlotte, Las Vegas, Denver and even once Sioux Falls in South Dakota or any number of locations nationwide. I get it. People would love for their local airport to take them to destinations they want to go to on flights with no layovers.

 

Much like the mall and places like Charles Pointe and White Oaks, if a route is reasonable, it’s likely been pitched. Exactly the same as retail, Rock or airport officials simply can’t pick up the phone and tell United, American Airlines, Delta or anyone else to come on down and start flying. It doesn’t work that way and, in fact, it’s gotten much more difficult post 9/11 and as rural areas became a harder sell to airlines.

 

“If it was as easy as picking up the phone as asking, everyone would be doing it and there wouldn’t be any problem,” said Rock. “The good news is people want to use our airport and they want services faster than we can produce them, which is a good thing. The reality is that’s it’s a long process and getting what we have right now took years to transpire.”

 

So what draws an airline to a community? If it sound like a repeat of the business blog, it’s because Rock went down the same path.

 

“Everything is data driven and the one thing that holds us back is demographics and population size,” said Rock. “That’s why we did a market study to determine the trends of the passengers in our area to see their flying habits and where they’re going. If we’re looking to go to a certain market and someone is driving an hour away for a three-hour drive to Pittsburgh that’s a customer we could have if we offered the service they’re going to Pittsburgh for.

 

“It’s always a tougher pitch when you have to draw population from 100 miles away and another airport can do it within 60 miles with more population than your entire state,” Rock continued. “We see it, but it doesn’t mean we can’t compete.”

 

Rock said the NCWV Airport began Allegiant flights at the same time as Concord-Padgett Regional Airport in Concord, NC. Like the flights from Bridgeport, the Allegiant flights have been wildly successful at that facility as well. The only difference is that while Allegiant has expanded locally, they’ve double their round trips to a place such as Orlando.

 

“It’s a similar size airport, but they have 4 million people within 60 miles of it. Our entire state has 1.7 million,” said Rock. “Airlines look at that. It’s basically a math equation to them. It doesn’t make it impossible. It does make it a bit harder of a sell.”

 

There’s where there’s promise. The airport is coming off a record year with not only its destination flights, but its charter flights and the highest number of daily service flights in decades. The destination flights to Orlando and Myrtle Beach, in particular, see the airport at well above 90 percent capacity on every trip.

 

“At one time I thought it might be impossible to get a flight and, if so, sustain it. We had the market, but it wasn’t a proven market,” said Rock. “The community stepping up has proven we have the market. That gives us something we never had before when we make a pitch and that’s real data. You combine that with a growing economy and we’ve been able to slowly expand what we have and get airlines to listen to us whereas before there may be no chance of anyone even listening.”

 

While Sioux Falls has never been pitched, many others have. Rock rattled off some familiar places such as Punta Gorda and Tampa Bay in Florida, Las Vegas, Savannah, Hilton Head and even Nashville among others. As he’s said in the past, he believes southwest Florida is the best bet if Allegiant buys in to another destination flight.

 

“That area, based on studies, is where the most travelers from this area go to Pittsburgh to fly to. It’s part of our catch pin area,” said Rock. “It’s not just people flying there. You have a whole lot of West Virginians that have relocated there that would fly back here. We’ve pitched it and we’ll pitch it again and the fact we keep getting better numbers doesn’t guarantee it will happen, but it certainly helps our chances.”

 

Already, there are months this year with additional days to Orlando. The same will hold true with Myrtle Beach. And the daily flight service, United Express, will begin operating on Saturdays in May.

 

So how did it happen?

 

“There were phone calls, but no one picked up the phone and said ‘go ahead and add some days.’ There’s a lot of work involved, but the biggest thing is for the community to keep using our flights,” said Rock. “Good things will keep happening if the community buy in remains.”

 

Editor's Note: Top two photos show passengers boarding an Allegiant flight in Bridgeport, while NCWV Airport Director Rick Rock is shown below.