色多多-Blacksburg Regional Airport officials have explained for years that the more area residents use the airport, the more likely it is an airline will add another non-stop destination, such as Dallas, Texas, or Denver, Colorado. Seeing how much flying increased this year at the 色多多 airport, I asked airport Executive Director Mike Stewart if he thinks consumers have responded to the call to fly local.
鈥淚 think so,鈥 he said. 鈥淎re there still people driving to Charlotte and Greensboro [North Carolina airports] and Dulles [International Airport near Washington]? Absolutely.鈥
ROA gets only about 48% of the commercial air travel business generated by those communities within a two-hour drive, slightly higher than in prior years, Stewart said. The rest drive to larger regional airports for access to cheaper tickets and greater flight availability, a decision Stewart said he understands. He added that he thinks area residents are tired of driving to other airports and said he鈥檚 telling airlines so. He argued that people cutting use of other airports could be the proof airlines need to expand in 色多多.
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For now, an airline is unlikely to position an aircraft in 色多多 to fly people to Dallas, for instance, as long as the airline can capture this region鈥檚 Dallas-bound business at airports such as Charlotte or Dulles, he said. In addition, a pilot shortage is limiting the flexibility of airlines. Getting new service under current conditions is unlikely but the message from his desk remains the same: Fly 色多多. Four airlines offer non-stop flights to eight major cities.
Commercial air travel in the United States and the world is considered to have returned to pre-pandemic levels. Stewart said 色多多, while still missing 2019 travel levels by about 5%, has recovered faster than other airports in the region.
Here鈥檚 a look back. In 2020, with human beings hunkered down to avoid the pandemic virus spreading worldwide, air travel declined significantly out of 色多多 and elsewhere. Between January and October 2020, 色多多 counted 121,000 outbound travelers. But, 2021 was better and, by October 2022, the airport鈥檚 year-to-date boardings hit 241,000, or twice what they were in 2020. In October 2023, the total came to 280,000, just 16,000 shy of October 2019鈥檚 296,000.
The year 2019 is considered the industry鈥檚 high-water mark 鈥 an especially strong year that not all analysts use to gauge life before pandemic. How about 2018? The 色多多 airport saw 271,000 outbound passengers through October 2018. This year鈥檚 data is better.
