How important is the North Central West Virginia (NCWV) Airport to Bridgeport and our region?

 

A 2019 economic impact study found that the airport generates $1.1 billion in economic impact annually. It would be hard to argue the significance of that amount. Over the next decade, we will see dollar amounts that will dwarf that impressive $1.1 billion.

 

How can I be so sure? The literal groundwork for that growth and expansion has already taken place.

 

In August of 2022, the Benedum Airport Authority, which owns and operates the NCWV Airport, held a ribbon cutting for the new West Virginia AeroTech Park. The now flat 100-acre site is the end product of the “Move the Mountain” project that did just what  the name implies.

 

Wolfe’s Excavating moved over three million cubic feet of soil and rock, creating an ideal site for development. The site will be split into two sections. The first 17 acres will house the NCWV Airport’s new $35 million terminal, tarmac, taxiway, and additional parking. The remaining 83 acres will be available for commercial development with a priority on expanding the growth of the aerospace industry. Add to that the two equally large parcels of land just across I-279 that are ripe for development, and you can see enormous potential for the aerospace industry's growth in Bridgeport.

 

The new 45,000-square-foot terminal will triple the size of our existing terminal and allow for a considerable expansion in the number of flights accommodated at the airport. It will also provide improved services and comfort for passengers when they travel. Planned additions include expanding the number of gates, increasing passenger seating at the gates, and a dedicated baggage claim area.

 

The expansion of airline services at the NCWV Airport will be a boon for our local economy and a very nice perk for our community and the region. However, an even more significant economic impact will come from the 83 acres designated for commercial development in the West Virginia AeroTech Park.

 

The new 100,000 square feet, two-hangar expansion of MHI RJ (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Regional Jets) for aircraft maintenance, the recently announced expansion of Aurora Flight Sciences and its partnership with Virgin Galactic to manufacture Galactic’s air launch carrier aircraft, and the announcement of Pierpont's new AMT (Aviation Maintenance Technology) school to be located on the new site, are just three examples of the types of industry that will call the AeroTech Park home.

 

These three alone will bring hundreds of high-paying careers to Bridgeport. Those that follow, as development continues, will bring in thousands more. In turn, we will see growth across the region in other commercial enterprises, the service industry, retail business  expansion, and residential development. With the support of the federal, state, county, and city governments, the vision of the Benedum Airport Authority Board of what the future of the NCWV Airport can and should be is coming to fruition. The impact of their efforts will reach far beyond the airport property generating substantial positive economic results.

 

So, “Why Bridgeport?” Just the right place at the right time? Hardly.

 

The Benedum Airport Authority Board has dedicated countless hours to planning, lobbying, and searching for funding for this massive project. Their vision, passion, and leadership are paying big dividends now and will continue well into the future for Bridgeport and North Central West Virginia. So while $1.1 billion is a monumental dollar amount, the Benedum Airport Authority and the NCWV Airport staff understand that it is just our departure point.

 

They know the sky’s the limit.

 

Editor's Note: Top photo shows a jet flying into the North Central West Virginia Airport as it goes over the Charles Pointe development, while a conceptual drawing of the new terminal is shown in the second image. In the third photo, the second MHI RJ hangar that is being built is shown, while members of the Benedum Airport Authority are shown below.