Sounds to me that somebody always has to be the sinic. The airport get's their funding through some user fee's and of course through fuel sale's, Opps wait a minute AVIATION fuel sales. The money that the airport and like so many other airports get is AIP or Airport Improvement Money to maintain the runways , Glideslope, Instrument Landing System's, Firefighting equipment, Building upgrades such as Handicap Entrances to Restroom Facilities. You know this airport like so many other airport's in this country provide a service to their community that not helps local companies out but also is a major employer to this area. THIS WAS NOT STEALING BOB!. They made the mark of 10,000 passengers and the check will be in the mail. I am not a theif and don't appreciate being called one. Oh by the way I am particular who comes in my yard and don't have those troubles. I did enjoy the free ride that me and my family got to take at the airport this day and I personally went and thanked Ron Watson and Jim Christie whom both are airport athourity members and also County Commmissioner and Bridgeport Mayor for their efforts and hoped this put them over their matk to get this funding. You should go up sometime it is really impressive to see how much industry is at this airport which is way more than I have seen at any of the other airports in the state.Remember any and all funding that theairport get's helps the overall airport and the employers that are there and the employees as well, It's not one sided like you have suggested..

Thanks for the Feedback

ED

Ed wrote, "that the airport athourity (sic) does not have a money tree that they can harvest anytime a project needs to be done".

Just where do you think the Feds get their money? Oh, yeah, that's right, the federal money tree! Wait, the rest of us are the money tree? Oh crap.

Glad you enjoyed your "free ride". Why don't you be a man and come to my house to steal money from me instead of having the federal government to do your dirty work?

The point has been missed again. The money is to and can only be used for IMPROVING THE AIRPORT PROPERTY. That's all. But in order to get this money to make the improvement's for bigger and better aircraft to come in here the mark has to be met. Charleston is no comparison becouse there is a population base in and around Kanawha County of about 500,000 people. There passenger numbers were in the 200,000 + range the last time I looked. Look all of the major airlines are not going to start running 737 or regional jets out of an airport becouse they need to see a good history of passenger numbers. The airport's marketing director alone cannot convince these companies to come in here on their own with no degree of certainty on how the airlines will do. There is alot of hard work put in by these folks on how to make things happen and they did it and do it every day. As far as marketing the airport, They did that also with these flights. Making people aware of what an airport has to offer is no easy chore, But I have been hearing radio ad's about the current United Express servive offered where before when there was no marketing director there was nothing. The airport and it's athourity are trying and hopefully with better luck this year I hope that they don't have to do what they done this year, However I hope that they have several charters similar to the New York charter and others that people can fky out on.In respect to growth the airport in recent years has been growing passenger numbers, Just 2-3 years ago Passenger count's were about 6500 to 7000 passengers with respect to last year I believe it was in the 9000 passenger range. And with the changing of airlines and improved reliability I believe that passenger numbers will continue to climb. Like I said before, This money can ONLY be used for airport property improvements. Firefighting Equipment, Runway Improvements, Radio Navigational Aids etc. The jet flight tickets to Jersy were $150.00 TR per person so there was money recooped there and the flight to Charlotte was also $150.00 RT per person so there was additional mony recooped. There was a direct myrtle beach service that was scheduled to start flying out of this airport too, But never got off of the ground. Once this airport did all of the marketing and advertising for it,The service get's shut down becouse of a downturn in the economy and high fuel prices but the same airline can fly to Pittsburgh at least 80 more miles north, Can't figure that one out and offer the same fare except now everyone has to drive to Pittsburgh to catch that plane. This happened just this year. So I am confident that the airport athourity can and will make it happen. We just need to start flying out of Bridgeport more often than going to PIT. After all the Fares are out there we just need to take a better look for them. Look we can go on and on about this. I believe that the airport was right in doing this scenic flight. No matter what they do there is always going to be someone that does'nt use this airport But will always be around to point the finger.If the airport's numbers are low again next year, I hope that they do it again.I'll support them in the future as I have supported them in the past. Thanks ED

Speaking the truth is not complaining or being negative. Ed, the point is that these grants are rewards given for growing and improving services. Flying 300 people around on a one time free flight is not an improvement in service or growth. Think of all of the other airports in the nation that might have been close to this threshold. What if they all did the same thing? How would this affect the available funds for others? And would you want to see an airport rewarded by doing something like this if you were one of the ones that worked hard to promote yourself and provide better services and achieved this through hard work rather than something like this? All airports face setbacks like losing flights, bad weather, etc. Their circumstances were no different than other airports across the country. Look at all of the flights Charleston has lost lately because of the economy and high fuel costs. Should they fly people around for free just to pad their numbers and make it look like they have grown? No, because it wouldn't be right. And also, why not take the money spent on flying a plane in from NJ, paying for fuel, paying for a pilot and crew, etc and put it toward better marketing and trying to get new flights? Then they might not have been in this situation to begin with.

Could have fooled me, and by the airport failimg, Buisnesses would fail too. I guess it is too much for people to grasp that. They do deserve the money and they have done everything in their power to avoid this. There are reasonable fares at ckb and they have tried to get other airlines in here. Like I said you need to get ahold of the airport athourity with the ideas. I believe I said thhat in my last blog. People need to quit the harping anout the airport not deserving the money and cheating in getting these passenger numbers. like I said if more people would look around for the decent fares and support this airport they would'nt be in this situation to begin with. Read my other blog. They have tried and tried but seem to have had a string of bad luck. Everybody has it. Just like everybody else they try to pick up the peices and go on. What you and alot of other people don't understand is that there is alot of Harrison County's economy that comes from this airport. The more that they do in improvements the more possibility there might be for better jobs. The airport athourity has gotten what they needed and I for one am happy for that , No other explanations would be given if I were a member. I would'nt care who liked it.

Thanks Ed

And by no means am I wishing for its failure, but these are hard times, and the money should go where it is legitimately needed the most.

Horrible, Ed. Horrible. Bottomline is, if the airport can't reach the threshold without some gimmick, it doesn't deserve the extra money.

Sure, here's some suggestions. Cheaper flights, more destinations, on and on and on... The aiport can join the club of other businesses suffering right now.

It's no loophole, The requirement is 10000 passengers. That's it. It seems to me that there are alot of people in this area that would like to see the airport fail. If that's not the case then quail the negativity. If there are better suggestions on how passenger goals can be reached then you need to reach one of the athourity members and tell them about it. Like I have said before, The airport athourity get's the rug jerked out from under them every time they have tried to initiate servic. They do deserve the money and it was done fair and square. This is also a requirement in all of these United States in order to be qualified as a primary airport. If there were 9999 passengers, Then there would be people complaining that the sirport athourity did'nt do enough to reach the goal of 10000 passengers.Enough Already!!!!!
Ed Davis

Seems to be the airport doesn't deserve the additional money if they have to give free rides in order to get to 10,000 passengers. Give the money to the airports that need it. If this is acceptable, it is a loophole that needs closed.

I think that this is the kind of thing the Airport Athourity needs to hear about. It's all about saving money. Example, If enough intrest would exsist and there were enough feedback from the communities in the surrounding areas maybe Allegiant Air could be convinced to come in. Similar situation happened in Huntington. Now there are 2 flights a week to Orlando.and 2 flights a week to Tampa and there is a third destination they fly to however I don't remember that one right off hand. But some of those deals were $79.00 one way. Also the current United Express carrier Colgan Air thru the airport website www.flyckb.com and click on the link for United Airlines or go to www.united.com and if you get your request in usually 2 to 3 weeks ahead of time you can get a pretty good deal and that's flying out of Bridgeport. I just went to the United's web site and flying from (CKB) Clarksburg with a change of aircraft in (IAD) Dulles in DC to (MCO) Orlando Leaving on the 26th of January coming back on the 30th of January for a price of $259.00 round trip.The price was the same for a Saturday return as well. There were prices that came upas $500 to $600.00 range, But at the top there were flight's found for $259.00 Round Trip. That's purchasing atleast 21 day's in advance. With a little research these fares can be found, But if there is intrest in the airport where more people use, Maybe there will be discount Charter Flights were there is proof in the puuding that people use the facility and these discount carriers will want to come in here.

Thanks

Ed Davis

I think people would start using NCWVA and stop using Pittsburgh if the prices were comparable. When a RT from Clarksburg to Orlando is $450 each and I need 4 tickets it makes more financial sense to me to drive to Pitt, pay for parking, and only pay $189 each. We always check CKB prices first, but always go with Pitt due to the amount of money we can save.

It was a wonderful afternoon for flying. Regardless of who thinks different, This was a great idea. Again this airport is being proactive in getting the numbers needed to obtain federal AIP (Airport Improvement Money) for things needed to secure these types of flights. Aeronautical Navigation equipment, Increased turning radius at the end's of the runway, The 1000 foot safety overruns that are required to be at each end of the runways. All of the critics of the earlier blog need to understand that the airport athourity does not have a money tree that they can harvest anytime a project needs to be done, They have to be proactive the way they were today to help get this funding. And of course the sooner people quit using Pittsburgh Airport and start using NCWVA I think you will see this trend turn around. Again, Hat's Off to the Airport Athourity for making this day possible. Thank You Edward M. Davis