Local airport director Rick Rock updates the Benedum Airport Authority Wednesday on plans to promote the direct flights to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
BRIDGEPORT — The Benedum Airport Authority voted Wednesday to submit a letter to state and federal officials expressing opposition to a planned runway extension at Morgantown Municipal Airport.
Media outlets reported earlier this month that the U.S. Air Force Reserve has agreed to partner with the Morgantown airport to extend its runway by more than 1,000 feet, allowing for international flights. The project is expected to cost roughly $30 million.
On Wednesday, airport authority board members said they view the expansion as a waste of resources, given that North Central West Virginia Airport is located near Morgantown and already has a runway 7,800 feet long.
Local airport officials have expressed a desire to work regionally to expand air service opportunities in the area, rather than having airports in Morgantown and Bridgeport compete with one another.
“If we create two mediocre airports, all we’re really going to have is two 8,000-foot runways that aren’t going to benefit anybody in the community,” board member Mike Romano said, adding that extending the Morgantown runway would “create something that nobody needs. It just couldn’t be any sillier.”
North Central West Virginia Airport Director Rick Rock echoed Romano’s comments.
“If you look at it from a 30,000-foot view, I don’t know how anybody could think that makes a whole lot of sense,” Rock said.
Romano made a motion to pen a “letter to all of our federal delegation, the governor and any other appropriate entities explaining what a waste of taxpayer dollars this is.”
The letter should be focused on facts in order to “show that we’re not bellyaching,” he said.
“This is the biggest boondoggle since the bridge to nowhere in Alaska,” Romano said. “I just can’t imagine that we’d want to spend that kind of money.”
In other business, the board heard an update on the terminal improvement projects funded through last year’s round of Airport Improvement Program money from the Federal Aviation Administration.
Rock invited the board members to participate in a walkthrough scheduled for Friday to review the construction so far. The improvements include roofing upgrades, a new terminal canopy, new signage and a new paved parking area.
Engineer Nicole Jones — filling in for airport engineer Chad Biller — said the front entrance, which has been closed off for months now, is set to re-open in time for Saturday’s Honor Flight. All of the finishing details for the projects should be wrapped up by May 8, she said.
There was some discussion about whether the construction had extended beyond the timeline agreed upon in the contract, as the improvements were originally expected to wrap up in March. Jones noted that weather conditions and additional work contributed to delays in the completion date.
Romano said the board should ensure it follows all provisions in the contract, given that the project was bid out based on a specific timetable.
Rock also gave the board updates Wednesday on various things going on at the airport, highlighting ongoing issues with the federally subsidized Essential Air Service (EAS) flights to Washington, D.C., and plans for promoting this summer’s direct flights to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
The EAS flights, offered by Silver Airways, have struggled to meet a $200-per-passenger subsidy cap set by the U.S. Department of Transportation. Rock has said that the federal government intends to more strictly enforce the subsidy cap this year.
Since the start of the current EAS funding cycle in October, Silver, which receives $191,000 per month to offer direct flights to Washington, D.C., has failed to fill enough seats to fall below $200 per passenger.
The issue did not improve in March, Rock said. Silver averaged over $347 per passenger for the month, he said.
“It was another dismal month with EAS,” Rock said. “We had 550 total passengers for Silver for the month of March.”
On a more positive note, Rock said the airport has been aggressively promoting the Myrtle Beach flights. The airport has already booked 1,661 passengers for those flights, which will begin in June, he said.
Rock said the local airport is looking at giving away tickets and doing other promotional activities at upcoming West Virginia Black Bears games to build additional enthusiasm in the area for the Myrtle Beach flights.
Original article can be found here: http://www.theet.com
Airport Authority board member Mike Romano, left, voices opposition to a proposal to spend $30 million to extend the runway at Morgantown Municipal Airport to 8,000 feet. The runway at North Central West Virginia Airport is 7,800 feet.
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