Things have been a little quiet at the North Central West Virginia Airport for the last few weeks. While daily flight service to Washington, Dulles International Airport continues, the weekly destination flights to Orlando and Myrtle Beach are no longer operating.

 

However, it’s no need for concern. The flights to those destinations, through Allegiant Airlines, typically end at a point in August as the airline provides maintenance to their fleet. The somewhat more established flight to Orlando ended August 17, while the Myrtle Beach flight in its first year ended the same day.

 

Earlier, North Central West Virginia Airport Director Rick Rock said that the flights to Orlando will resume this Thursday, Oct. 1, but that the commitment was only through the end of February. Earlier this month, he confirmed that the commitment is now longer.

 

“We’ll be starting our Florida flights to Orlando in just a few weeks on Oct. 1 with Allegiant leaving Bridgeport and going to Orlando-Sanford International Airport,” said Rock. “Now, Allegiant is booking all the way through May 17 of next year and barring something unusual, we anticipate that to be extended as well. Allegiant sees, and travelers in our area see as well, value in those flights.”

 

Rock said flights to Orlando are typically well above 90 percent capacity. He also said the first-year flights to Myrtle Beach were also at the 90 percent threshold.

 

That, of course, leads one to wonder if the Myrtle Beach flight has been extended as well. The answer, for the short term, is no. However, that doesn’t mean that it won’t be and, in fact, Rock is anticipating it will be.

 

“I’ve spoken with Allegiant about it and they were very happy with results of the flight. Our community supported it and supported it well. We’re going to see some rewards, I believe, in the service being renewed,” Rock said. “We just haven’t been officially told that yet.”

 

“We’re in conversation with them and anything is subject to change in this business, but the yield was positive and Allegiant was impressed that we’re talking about even extending the service as far as dates it will be offered next year,” he continued. “Nothing’s official, but we do have the opportunity and in a competitive industry like this the first and best thing you can ask for is an opportunity and we have the community to thank for that.”

 

Numbers appear to back to up Rock’s statement on the support. Through the first eight months of 2015, when Allegiant was operating full throttle with Orlando and it also includes all of the months flights went to Myrtle Beach, there were 11,304 passengers on those flights.

 

The added flight has added to the airport’s overall passenger numbers that were the highest in well over a decade last year. Right now, through Allegiant, the daily flight service and charter flights the airport has had 15,657 passengers. Last year, through August, the airport had 13,653.

 

Rock wasn’t sure when Allegiant would provide a decision on the Myrtle Beach flights. Since the flight this year was seasonal for the warm weather months, he said it’s possible they won’t hear anything official until 2016.

 

As for future destination service, Rock said those discussions continue with Allegiant and others. In October, Rock will be in a conference in Arkansas where he'll meet with multiple airlines and he said he will broach positives about West Virginia to hopefully secure an additional destination flight among other opportunities.