Good NCWV Airport News: Destin Flights Starting and Final Debt on $54M Terminal May be as Low as $5M
By Jeff Toquinto on May 23, 2024
While talk in recent months has been the return of the Myrtle Beach flight beginning May 30 and additional days being added to the year-
round Orlando flights, the status of the newest destination flight service from the North Central West Virginia Airport has had several inquiries.
round Orlando flights, the status of the newest destination flight service from the North Central West Virginia Airport has had several inquiries.
Following Tuesday’s meeting of the Benedum Airport Authority, airport’s governing body, NCWV Airport Deputy Director Shawn Long said the flight is back for its third year. And they will be starting soon.
“Flights to Destin begin June 1,” said Long. “The flights to Destin are every Saturday.”
The flights do not last the entire summer. However, they will be going through August 10.
“People seem to really enjoy that area,” said Long, who said load factors on the trips are are in the 90 percent rage.
During the meeting, Long filled in to handle the presentations usually done by Director Rick Rock. Rock is attending the 2024 JumpStart® Air Service Development Conference which is taking place at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C. that began Monday and runs
through today, May 22.
through today, May 22.
Airports from across North America along with nearly every major airline are in attendance, Long said. Despite airlines not in expansion due to lack of pilots and it particularly impacting rural markets, the goals are still the same for Rock at the event.
“We’re there to continue our relationship with our existing partners,” Long, who told the Authority Rock had met with Allegiant officials, said. “We also are talking to other airlines to see potential future partnerships that can be created.”
Long said if deals cannot be made now, the forming of relationships can. That, he said, could prove beneficial later.
Rock has said it would be nice to include a new flight service at the time of the opening of the new terminal, or shortly thereafter. The terminal was part of the agenda as Authority officials agreed to a bridge loan of $10 million in order to tap into a $10 million loan Gov. Jim Justice made available to the airport in August of 2019.
The bridge loan from the state will be utilized as needed to help pay ongoing bills and once the project is completed the loan from the state can be tapped into.
It took nearly five years from the time the loan was announced until the need for it arose.
“We’re just getting around to this,” said Mayor Andy Lang, who is an Authority member.
Lang, as noted above, said, that part of the reason for the loan is that as they wait for awarded grant funds to arrive, bills have to be paid, while it will also help in paying for debt that is left once the project is complete. Lang said the 
majority of the entire project, once all grant dollars are in along with any matching dollars already fronted by the NCWV Airport, could result in very little debt.
majority of the entire project, once all grant dollars are in along with any matching dollars already fronted by the NCWV Airport, could result in very little debt.
The entire project, he said, is in the $54 million range. Lang said if all grants come through as expected, the remaining debt could be less than $5 million. In fact, the Authority agreed to allow a loan writer to work with USEDA for up to a $1.8 million grant on the $3 million parking lot project for the terminal. Those gathered were confident they would get the bulk of the funding they are eligible to apply for.
The Authority also heard a trio of presentations. The group heard from Dr. Brad Gilbert, senior Professor and Director of Aviation Technology at Pierpont Technical and Community College; Joel Kirk, Director and Chief Instructor for Fairmont State’s Aviation Center of Excellence Robert C. Byrd National Aerospace Education Center; and Tracy Miller, the head of the Mid-Atlantic Aerospace Complex.
Editor's Note: Top photo shows an Allegiant Flight landing at an airport, while Shawn Long is shown in the second image. In the third photo, Andy Lang talks to the Authority, while Joel Kirk addresses the airport's governing body in the bottom image.
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