Whenever a story appears on new service or expanding air service at the North Central West Virginia Airport, there’s one certainty that’s going to take place on the social media side of the report. There will be multiple inquiries about new destinations.

 

Among the destinations always mentioned is Charlotte. For a brief period, Charlotte was available through Via Air. However, due to the airline’s inability to have flights operate on time or at all the NCWV Airport dropped their service.

 

At this week’s Benedum Airport Authority meeting, a member of the airport’s governing body asked Director Rick Rock if there’s any interest from airlines to provide a flight to Charlotte. Member Roger Diaz brought up the question.

 

“Is there any interest in anything like that out there at all,” Diaz asked.

 

Rock, who has worked with the Authority as well as the airport’s consulting brand to land destination flights to Orlando and Myrtle Beach and daily jet flight service to Chicago and Washington, D.C., said there’s nothing in the works. After the meeting, when asked to explain further, Rock said “I guess the best way to put it is that I don’t have any deals signed.”

 

Getting an airline to commit to provide new service to an airport is not an easy chore, Rock has said multiple times in the past. And getting them to commit to an airport where the population of an entire state is barely over 1 million people is even more difficult.

 

That doesn’t mean it can’t, and won’t, happen. The good news is that another pitch will be made, and Rock said the pitch will likely be made to American Airlines. Charlotte Douglas International Airport is a hub for American.

 

“We have spoken to American in the past and it didn’t work out, but we’re working on our next business case to present to them at our next opportunity,” said Rock

 

That opportunity could potentially come up at one of the airport conferences. The NCWV Airport’s consultant – Volaire Aviation Consulting – sets up meetings with air service providers and it has led to current and past success under Mike Mooney of Volaire.

 

“The thing we have in our favor is we know we have a viable market to Charlotte. We have a good business case to show a market for Charlotte, but it’s a battle to get airlines here and to even expand,” said Rock. “The issue is always population, but we are now able to show we have people traveling from our airport and we can show a huge number of West Virginians in Charlotte that would love an easy way to get home.

 

“Population isn’t a cop out, but a reality we have to deal with when making a pitch,” Rock continued. “To be honest, based on our population we shouldn’t have the services we have. We’ve been able to maintain them because the community has bought into the flights and they’re a success. As long as our current airlines are strong we’ll at least have someone listen to us.”

 

Rock said Charlotte is still on the radar. He also said pitches will continue to be made to Allegiant for flights to the Gulf Coast side of Florida. Other airlines that provide destination service, he said, also will be courted and have been.

 

Editor's Note: Top photo shows NCWV Director Rick Rock, foreground, talking about Charlotte as Deputy Director Shawn Long listens. Middle picture is of Authority member Roger Diaz, while an Allegiant flight is shown below.