Tom Cochran, airport manager, left, and Ami Viser, chairman of ViaAir, make the announcement about Raleigh County Municipal Airport new airline. ViaAir will be bringing its 30-passenger Embraer 120 jets into Raleigh County beginning in early December.
BECKLEY, W.Va. — While the new carrier for the Raleigh County Memorial Airport was up in the air, manager Tom Cochran searched for the company he believed would be the perfect fit.
Cochran thinks he found it with the Orlando, Fla.-based ViaAir, which will begin passenger service to Charlotte, N.C., in December.
“Their interest, their passion for service and the first-class equipment they have, not just to fly people out of Beckley, but to bring the world to us” made ViaAir the right choice, Cochran said. “They are totally committed to give us service not only to Charlotte, but also chartering opportunities (in the future.)”
U.S. Rep. Nick Rahall, D-W.Va., made the announcement Thursday at the airport.
“Enhancing our connections to Charlotte-Douglas International Airport with regular flights keeps our region connected in very short order to the world,” Rahall said.
The congressman said the Essential Air Program, which helps fund airports for small- and mid-sized communities, is necessary for those airports to survive.
Rahall noted that large airports depend on smaller facilities to deliver passengers “to and from the first and last miles…
