If all goes as planned, the North Central West Virginia Airport will have a new airline providing daily flights from Bridgeport. Late this morning, the Benedum Airport Authority – the airport’s governing body – agreed to recommend that Via Air be the new daily air service provider and replace Silver Airlines.

 

Pending approval by the Federal Department of Transportation, the airport would no longer see daily flights to Washington Dulles International, but would instead see flights to two different hubs. There would flights daily to Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport and flights four days a week to Charlotte-Douglas International Airport in North Carolina.

 

“We appreciate the bids of all the airlines,” said NCWV Airport Director Rick Rock.

 

Rock, Authority President Ron Watson and several others Authority members recently met with six airlines that bid on the daily service as part of the federal Essential Air Service (EAS) program. The program is a federally subsidized program that provides dollars to airlines to offset the costs of operating in smaller, rural markets. The EAS airlines provide daily services to large hubs where connecting flights can be made.

 

Six companies bid to provide service at NCWV Airport. Along with Via and the current carrier Silver, there were bids from four others. Those airlines that bid included ADI, Boutique, CFM, and Southern.

 

The air service will involve a 30-seat Embraer 120 Brasilia aircraft. It is a turbo prop plane.

 

“It’s a nice reliable aircraft,” said Rock. “ ... We’ve had a lot of issues currently with reliability and this is a reliable aircraft.”

 

While the vote was unanimous to recommend Via to the DOT, there was also support for CFM (Corporate Flight Management), a Nashville based airline. Bridgeport Mayor Robert “Bob” Greer, who said he wasn’t a proponent of the existing carrier Silver, did feel that Silver brought something to the table that no other airline could offer – code sharing and ticket and baggage transfer agreements.

 

Individuals that fly through Silver not only can book flights currently through them at Dulles International through United, but your tickets are handled and baggage is as well at the airport through Silver’s arrangement with United. No other airline that proposed a flight had any agreement with any network carrier or any carrier for that matter.

 

“I think it’s a major step backwards, in regards to the airlines, because of the code sharing,” said Greer. who also emphasized that there simply wasn't a "perfect" choice.

 

Greer, however, and others all agreed that the code sharing with Silver and United was a little value due to constant issues with delays and flight cancelations by Silver. Watson said that Silver’s promises that they would fix those issues seemed hollow based on their recent performance.

 

One other issue will also have to be dealt with on the daily flights to Baltimore. Those checking in bags will likely have to get their bags and go back through security before going to other parts of the terminal. However, Rock said that inconvenience (not an issue for the Charlotte flights) is being worked on and if it can’t be solved the sting should be eased by what he said look to be incredibly low fares.

 

Although an official fare schedule has to be negotiated when – and if – the DOT approves the recommendation, Rock said the fares should be more than agreeable with both the business and casual traveler. The fares through Via could be low and Rock said that flights out of BWI should be much lower as well. He estimated 70 percent of the flights out of BWI are through low-cost carrier Southwest.

 

“It’s primarily a Southwest hub,” he said.

 

Rock said Via gives the airport the best change of falling into “cap compliance” with the EAS program. The program calls for the cost of the individual flying by way of origin and destination (O&D) from the airport to be at $200 or less.

 

“Our main concern is cap compliance,” said Rock, who noted during the meeting if they fail to continue to meet it then EAS will drop the NCWV Airport from the funding. “(Via) gives us the greatest chance to be compliant with that cap.”

 

Via Air also requested one of the lower subsidies at $2.1 million, which is less than what Silver currently receives. The EAS total now is at $2.3 million.

 

“BWI is a lot lower cost (than Dulles), it has Amtrak service that you can go to Philadelphia and New York City,” said Rock. “Travelers are cost conscious and we think we can create a buzz with the aircraft, the flights and the fare. The key is to have a good partner.”

 

 

The program with Via is “alternative EAS.” By that, instead of Via signing a contract with the DOT they will sign it with the airport.

 

“If someone is not complying, we have the flexibility to get on them or even move on to someone else,” said Rock.

 

The recommendation, if approved, would allow Via to begin flights as early as Oct. 1 of this year. The airport will send the recommendation to Washington, D.C. by this weekend where a 20-day comment period begins. Bridgeport joins Beckley, which already has Via flight service, Lewisburg and Parkersburg as EAS cities that have opted to recommend Via.

 

Editor's Note: Top photo shows NCWV Airport Director Rick Rock with Thrasher Group Engineer Chad Biller in the background. Second photo is of Bridgeport Mayor and Airport Authority member Robert "Bob" Greer, while Authority President Ron Watson is shown below. In the bottom photo, photo from the Via Air Web site of the Embaer 120.