PARKERSBURG, W.Va. — Five airlines have submitted bids to provide service to the Mid-Ohio Valley Regional Airport this fall.
Airport Manager Jeff McDougle said Wednesday the airport board has until June 20 to submit its recommendation to the U.S. Department of Transportation. In most cases, McDougle said, the department goes with the recommendation of the local board.
McDougle said the five airlines are ADI (Aerodynamics Inc.), Boutique Air, Contour Air, Via Air and Southern Airways Express. One of those, Via Air, serves Beckley offering flights to Charlotte.
McDougle said the board has not met to discuss the bids, but added all the bids possess many good things for the area.
“These airlines offer flights to Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Dulles (Washington), Charlotte and Chicago,” he said. “Over the next two weeks the board will sit down and discuss what is best for us and go from there.”
Although Silver had asked for an extension on its bid, the airline ultimately did not submit a bid, McDougle said.
“We had Silver for the past six years, first as Gulfstream and then Silver the last four years. We had service to Cleveland and then to Dulles the last two years,” he said. “They had some problems at first but they have gotten better.”
When asked if any reasons were given for Silver’s decision to not bid, McDougle said he could not comment at this time.
McDougle said the prospects from those who have bid look good for the airport’s future.
“The services proposed to us are exciting; there are a number of destinations people have been talking about and areas we have never served,” he said. “Under the Essential Air Service we are among five airports up for bid. Those (others) are Morgantown, Clarksburg, Beckley and Lewisburg.”
McDougle said if the new airline is not ready to begin on Oct. 1, Silver will continue to provide service until the new airline is ready.
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