Business, Government Legal News from throughout WVPartnerships, community focus keep North Central air fares low

Domestic air fares at North Central West Virginia Airport didn't go down this year on their own.

"That was badgering," laughed Airport Director Rick Rock.

Fares at the North Central West Virginia Airport in Clarksburg went down this year, from $539.02 in 2010 to $505.11 in 2011. Its comparable airports raised their fares, along with every other airport in West Virginia. Average domestic air fares went up 8.5 percent nationwide from 2010 to 2011, according to numbers from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics, going from $341 in the second quarter of 2010 to $370 in the second quarter of 2011.

"We want the public to see the good deals that are out there," Rock said. "We're trying to provide good service to our community and take ownership of our airport. The best way is to educate them about what we have, and by doing that, we're able to get people through the doors."

Rock said the public thought the local airport's prices were high, but his staff members has gone to great measure this year to do their own research to point out deals.

"We want regional parity, and our partners at Pinnacle (Airlines), we push them on that," Rock said. "And they agreed and worked with us on that."

Rock said his goal is to get members of the community to look to North Central West Virginia Airport when planning trips, rather than automatically booking flights from Pittsburgh or other nearby larger airports.

"We want people to at least check us out and see if we fit their budgets and schedules," Rock said. "And I think people have done that, and we're very thankful."

Rock said his industry has a lot of volatility, such as fuel prices, but air travel remains competitive.

"We ask everybody to support their local airports," he said.