MORGANTOWN — A hop, skip and a jump.
London, Paris, Rome.
“We’ve got 358 destinations throughout the world,” Layne Watson said Tuesday morning at the Morgantown Municipal Airport. “Literally, you can get across the globe in one stop from right here.”
Watson, corporate communications for SkyWest Airlines, was one of a handful of dignitaries to offer comments during a celebration of SkyWest’s arrival as Morgantown’s new essential air service carrier.
SkyWest, with its 50-seat Bombardier CRJ200 jets, recently replaced Southern Airways Express, which has flown nine-seat propeller-driven aircraft as the city’s EAS provider since 2016.
EAS is a federal subsidy provided directly to carriers to offset the cost of rural operations and ensure air service in smaller communities.
A selection committee of local stakeholders recommended the EAS change to the U.S. Department of Transportation earlier this year. The feds agreed.
“Today is a great day for me,” MGW Director Jon Vrabel said. “One of the things when I started here in Morgantown five years ago, I wanted to bring better air service to our community. I looked at the air service we have had and was looking for something better. This year, SkyWest joined us and I’m so glad they did.”
SkyWest, operating as United Express, will offer daily flights to Washington Dulles International Airport and Chicago O’Hare International Airport.
From there, Visit Mountaineer Country CVB President and CEO Susan Riddle said, the sky’s the limit.
“There’s no other place in the state that has the connectivity now at our disposal within a very short proximity to as many places as there are here at the Morgantown Airport. You’re going to get daily to Chicago and daily to Dulles, which are two of the busiest international airports that get you a hop, skip and a jump all over the world,” she said.
SkyWest arrives with the city in the midst of a 1,001-foot runway extension that will allow larger jets, and opportunities, to land directly in Morgantown.
“A little-known fact is this is the busiest airport in the state. Well, we could be busier still,” Morgantown Area Partnership President and CEO Russ Rogerson said. “The Partnership is working diligently on the I-68 Commerce Park … With the runway extension, we’ll also be able to add more business investment and jobs to the community. Really, this is all about building wealth, convenience and quality of life in our community.”
Morgantown Mayor Joe Abu-Ghannam pointed out that the increased connectivity provided by the new carrier is a two-way street.
“Everywhere I go I always tell people that I have the opportunity to live in the greatest city in the world, and the great news is now, with Chicago and Dulles as our hubs, everybody can now come visit us and see for themselves,” he said.
Additional information is available at morgantownairport.com. It is recommended that tickets be purchased directly through United.com.
