Greenbrier Valley Airport Story Archives - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Three W.Va. Airports Receive $8.7 Million For Projects

West Virginia will receive more than $8.7 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) for three airport projects.

The investment of federal dollars at airports in Lewisburg, Charleston and Huntington is expected to increase airport safety and efficiency for travelers and boost tourism and economic development across the state.

Greenbrier Valley Airport in Greenbrier County will receive the lion’s share of funds with more than $4.5 million for construction of a new building used to protect snow removal equipment during poor weather conditions.

Tri-State/Milton J. Ferguson Field Airport in Huntington was awarded $3.1 million for upgrades and repairs to existing runways and taxiways.

West Virginia International Yeager Airport in Charleston will receive more than $1 million to complete an environmental impact statement for a proposed runway safety project.

The money to support transportation hubs across the Mountain State is part of the Federal Aviation Administration’s Airport Improvement Program.

Eligible projects relate to airport safety, capacity, security and environmental issues.

Clarksburg And Lewisburg Airports May Have New Carrier

Airports in Clarksburg and Lewisburg may have found a replacement carrier in anticipation of SkyWest Airlines’ departure.

Airports in Clarksburg and Lewisburg may have found a replacement carrier in anticipation of SkyWest Airlines’ departure. The budget airline asked to end service in March.

The directors for North Central Regional Airport in Clarksburg and Greenbrier Valley Airport in Lewisburg have identified Contour Airlines as their preferred carrier moving forward.

In March, the Department of Transportation blocked SkyWest Airlines from ending service to 29 airports across the country including Clarksburg and Lewisburg.

In documents filed with the Department of Transportation (DOT) at the end of June, both airport authorities requested a waiver to award their Essential Air Service (EAS) contract to the Tennessee based airline, which is affiliated with American Airlines.

According to DOT, the EAS program was put into place to guarantee that small communities that were served by certificated air carriers before airline deregulation can maintain a minimal level of scheduled air service.

As an Essential Air Service carrier, Contour would connect the regional airports to the National Air Transportation System via the American Airlines hub in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Contour currently offers service to 10 other EAS cities, including Parkersburg and Beckley.

Both airports declined proposals from Boutique Air and Southern Airways Express. Those airlines only offer single-engine service, and that would require the airports to waive their rights to twin engine service.

A proposal from Team Tundra was rejected by both airports as incomplete.

Clarksburg and Lewisburg airports will continue to offer flights by SkyWest Airlines

SkyWest Airlines has decided to stop operating out of two regional airports in West Virginia. The decision would have stopped all flights from and to Lewisburg, but a federal agency has stepped in to prevent any interruption in service.

The U.S. Department of Transportation blocked SkyWest Airlines from ending service to 29 airports across the country including North Central Regional Airport in Clarksburg and Greenbrier Valley Airport in Lewisburg.

In their filing of intent to terminate essential air service, SkyWest representatives moved to terminate service on or before June 10 and citied “pilot staffing challenges across the airline industry.”

Monday’s ruling from the DOT blocked the termination until a replacement carrier can be found.

SkyWest operates in West Virginia under United Airlines and serves as an Essential Air Service to connect regional airports to the National Air Transportation System via hubs like Chicago O’Hare and Washington Dulles.

In a letter sent to Sec. of Transportation Pete Buttigieg Friday, Sen. Joe Manchin placed the economic impact of Lewisburg’s airport at $91 million, and Clarksburg at $1.1 billion annually. He claimed losing SkyWest’s services would cause irreparable harm to local communities.

Manchin also highlighted local efforts to help ease the national pilot shortage at Marshall University’s newly opened flight school, as well as Fairmont State’s existing school.

Three W.Va. Airports Received Grants for Improvements

Three airports in Southern West Virginia have been awarded federal grants to improve airfield infrastructure.

U.S. Rep. Nick Rahall says Greenbrier Valley Airport will receive $1 million to pay for the design of reconstructing apron pavement and building a new taxi lane. The airport also will use the funding to acquire snow removal equipment.

Logan County Airport will receive $150,000 to acquire a new runway visual guidance system.

The Federal Aviation Administration also awarded nearly $130,000 to Summersville Airport to remove trees and obstructions from one of its runway approaches and transitional surfaces.