Airport Seeing A Jump In Passengers Since Addition of Flights to Charlotte

Things are going great and the community response has been excellent since adding flights to the Charlotte-Douglas International Airport, according to Blair County Airport Authority Manager Tracy Plessinger.

The flights are provided by Contour Airlines.

“We are seeing a big jump in people using it,” he said. “Charlotte is a better hub and provides connections for transferring.”

Plessinger said the schedule is better with two flights being offered everyday.

He said when the flights were going to Philadelphia, they got 66 passengers per week. That number has increased to 184.

Plessinger said the flight is about an hour.

Some passengers use the service for business, others use it for visiting family in the area or going to the beach, or transferring flights for domestic or international destinations.

Later in November, there will be a breakfast shop opening to allow passengers to get food and coffee before they get on the early morning flight.

The Coffee Coop will be open from 5 a.m. to 11 a.m. and then La Fiesta will be open for the rest of the day.

“La Fiesta has been very successful, and it’s common for it to be packed on Fridays and Saturdays,” Plessinger said. “The passengers also love it.”

The Blair County Airport has a four-year contract with the Charlotte-Douglas International Airport through Contour and hopes they will want to stay.

Plessinger said the cost of the ticket starts at $59 each way, and parking is free.

He said they also have rental cars for people flying in and also for the community to use.

Plessinger said he wants to solidify what the airport currently offers and grow their services.