MARTINSBURG - While it is
always difficult to expand or attract air service, Susan V. Chernenko,
executive director of the West Virginia Aeronautics Commission, is
always working at it.
"I'm always looking for an opportunity to
talk about expanding existing air service in West Virginia and to try to
attract new air service," she said in a telephone interview Tuesday. "I
have an opportunity to meet with airlines and I've been doing this for
many years on a daily basis. It's very competitive."
One of those
opportunities could be an intrastate commercial air service between
Charleston's Yeager Airport and Martinsburg's Shepherd Field at the
Eastern Regional Airport.
Chernenko recently had discussions with a commercial airline and Martinsburg was mentioned, she said.
"But
I have no good news or update," Chernenko said. "Because of
Martinsburg's location - it's so close to D.C. - and the length of its
runway, and it doesn't have service, airlines should look at
Martinsburg."
She said there could be an opportunity in the future to attract commuter or charter service to Martinsburg.
"The airport in Martinsburg is an asset to the community and the state," Chernenko said. "Maybe we'll get lucky."
Aero-Smith Inc. operates a charter service at Eastern Regional Airport, flying an eight-passenger, two-engine King Air 200.
Five
airlines serve Yeager Airport, including American Airlines; United,
which has flights to Dulles International Airport; Delta; Spirit
Airlines; and U.S. Airways Express, which has flights to Reagan National
Airport.
Six other West Virginia airports offer scheduled
commercial air service: Morgantown; North Central West Virginia Airport
in Bridgeport; Tri-State Airport in Huntington; Raleigh County Memorial
Airport near Beckley; Wood County Airport near Parkersburg; and the
Greenbrier Valley Airport at Lewisburg.
Hagerstown Regional
Airport is home to two commercial airlines: Sun Air International, which
has daily flights to Dulles International Airport, and Allegiant Air,
which flies to Orlando, Fla.
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