Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Huntington, WV (HNN) – For the first time since 1989, Tri-State Airport will exceed 100,000 passengers boarding planes. Sometime between 7:30 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 17, a lucky passenger will be honored with gifts from the management of Tri State Airport.
In 1989, 101,577 enplanements occurred. No word in the release by Tri-State Airport whether they have a shot at breaking the 1989 record by December 31, 2009.
Yeager/Charleston will do everything possible to make sure that doesn't happen. Somethings can't be stopped though and it would be good for Huntington.
Yeager/Charleston will do everything possible to make sure that doesn't happen. Somethings can't be stopped though and it would be good for Huntington.
Why do people in Huntington always have this impression that Charleston is doing everything in its power to quash their city? Yeager has always had far more flights so I can't see how they are involved in some sort of conspiracy to belittle Tri-State Airport. A combination of a more central location and being the state capital/regional business hub tends to be the reason for Yeager being a busier airport. If there was a strong demand for more flights out of the Huntington area then various airlines would be adding destinations.
That is one thing that bugs the living $hit out of me!!! Why do these two towns each have their own airport when they are decently close to each other and if they were combined in a central location would have better accessibility, flight routes, connections..??? ugh
I'm flying out of Huntington on the 3rd, Phoenix bound... I connect to Charlotte then to Phoenix and the same on the way back. Would have been nice if the Charleston / Huntington markets were combined and there was actually a chance at more direct flights.... sigh...
Why do people in Huntington always have this impression that Charleston is doing everything in its power to quash their city? Yeager has always had far more flights so I can't see how they are involved in some sort of conspiracy to belittle Tri-State Airport. A combination of a more central location and being the state capital/regional business hub tends to be the reason for Yeager being a busier airport. If there was a strong demand for more flights out of the Huntington area then various airlines would be adding destinations.
I mention it here because of the history between the two for a regional airport. Yeager, and more specifically Kent Carper, have fought this tooth and nail for years to prevent it. They could have built a bigger airport with more offerings between the two but they shot it down. And why do you think they are cutting into Coonskin park to expand the runway? Because the FAA told them to extend the runway 1,000 feet for safety or they were going to get shut down. And rather than cooperating with Tri-state to offer different flights since they are so close together and so that both could benefit from serving a different destination market, they add the same exact direct flight to Orlando that Tri-state has had for the last few years. And Huntington is adding more flights. That's one reason that boardings were over 100,000 for the first time in 20 years. They are also currently expanding the run-way to fly bigger jets out of here to offer direct flights out west. They are also looking for another north-east direct flight. Funding is also being sought for a parking garage that would triple the amount of parking available.
And Silk, not so certain a Fed-Ex freight hanger could be added as Tri-state is the Fed-Ex hub for the area. Perhaps UPS though.
Yeager and Carper have consistently been the crux that has kept airport growth from happening in the area. Here are some articles outlining this.
Airport Debate Ends, Questions Linger | Transportation > Air Transportation from AllBusiness.com (http://www.allbusiness.com/government/government-bodies-offices-regional/11454743-1.html - broken link)
Flight or Fight | Transportation > Air Transportation from AllBusiness.com (http://www.allbusiness.com/government/government-bodies-offices-regional/11445248-1.html - broken link)
That is one thing that bugs the living $hit out of me!!! Why do these two towns each have their own airport when they are decently close to each other and if they were combined in a central location would have better accessibility, flight routes, connections..??? ugh
I'm flying out of Huntington on the 3rd, Phoenix bound... I connect to Charlotte then to Phoenix and the same on the way back. Would have been nice if the Charleston / Huntington markets were combined and there was actually a chance at more direct flights.... sigh...
I think you have somewhat of a valid point. However, I don't think combining the two would have produced direct flights very many other places. It probably would have added flights to different hubs but I don't think the passenger load out of WV would have been sufficient to support direct flights to everywhere we need to fly. My opinion is that you would still be going to Charlotte to get to Phoenix because of this. The response to more riders would have been larger capacity planes replacing the smaller jets.
I mention it here because of the history between the two for a regional airport. Yeager, and more specifically Kent Carper, have fought this tooth and nail for years to prevent it. They could have built a bigger airport with more offerings between the two but they shot it down. And why do you think they are cutting into Coonskin park to expand the runway? Because the FAA told them to extend the runway 1,000 feet for safety or they were going to get shut down. And rather than cooperating with Tri-state to offer different flights since they are so close together and so that both could benefit from serving a different destination market, they add the same exact direct flight to Orlando that Tri-state has had for the last few years. And Huntington is adding more flights. That's one reason that boardings were over 100,000 for the first time in 20 years. They are also currently expanding the run-way to fly bigger jets out of here to offer direct flights out west. They are also looking for another north-east direct flight. Funding is also being sought for a parking garage that would triple the amount of parking available.
And Silk, not so certain a Fed-Ex freight hanger could be added as Tri-state is the Fed-Ex hub for the area. Perhaps UPS though.
Yeager and Carper have consistently been the crux that has kept airport growth from happening in the area. Here are some articles outlining this.
Airport Debate Ends, Questions Linger | Transportation > Air Transportation from AllBusiness.com (http://www.allbusiness.com/government/government-bodies-offices-regional/11454743-1.html - broken link)
Flight or Fight | Transportation > Air Transportation from AllBusiness.com (http://www.allbusiness.com/government/government-bodies-offices-regional/11445248-1.html - broken link)
Not completely. I do remember the constant fighting between the two cities over the airport but I don't recall the Huntington politicians being 100% supportive of it either. Kent Carper's main issue with the regional airport was that it was clear out in Lincoln County over 30 miles from Charleston which already has sufficient air service for the market size.
And Yeager didn't "add the same exact direct flight to Orlando that Tri-state has had for the last few years." Through Allegiant Air, Tri-State offered a non-stop flight to Orlando-Sanford International which is much further from the main tourist areas (Disney World complex) than Orlando International. AirTran came to Yeager last summer and began offering non-stop flights to the much larger and much closer Orlando International Airport where they have a hub. Lo and behold who recently ended up adding service to Orlando International? Allegiant out of Tri-State Airport...
Obviously Yeager foots the bill as one can fly to LaGuardia, Wash-Dulles, Wash-Natl, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Atlanta, Houston, Philadelphia, Detroit and Orlando. With the exception of perhaps Miami, Boston and BWI (which there is no need since 2 other major DC area airports already served) that is pretty much every major East Coast hub. There wouldn't be much of a point in plowing so much money into an airport that might snag only a couple more flights.
It is great that Tri-State Airport is adding flights but it isn't Yeager Airport/Charleston keeping the place from becoming a major airline hub. It's the size and scope of the regional market.
But my main point is that such a post clearly demonstrates this attitude that many Huntington residents (along with other parts of the state) have long had that Charleston is always working to bring them down. Not the case.
Last edited by NOVAmtneer82; 12-20-2009 at 11:20 AM..
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
