Future Still Bright for Kinston Jetport in North Carolina

Nov. 14, 2006
Delta's departure leaves only Allegiant Air to provide commercial air service.

Still reeling from Delta's recent announcement that it will cease operations at the Kinston Regional Jetport in January, those involved with the jetport and bringing air service to the region say the jetport's future is still bright.

Delta's departure leaves only Allegiant Air to provide commercial air service. Allegiant, which launched its first flight from Kinston on Friday, is offering round-trip flights only to Orlando, Fla.

"When we first started talking seriously with Delta in 2003, we told them that if they could keep ticket prices reasonably competitive with Raleigh-Durham we would fill their planes and make it profitable for them," said John Marshall, co-chairman of the Lenoir Committee of 100's air services committee. "We were right and filled the planes, but since that time Delta's business model has changed."

"With Delta having filed for bankruptcy protection," Marshall added, "the company's economics are now under a microscope. They want to reallocate their assets to other places. Their vision is now one of what to do this month (to be profitable). Their vision is no longer one that looks to what is in store for the long haul."

Luring commercial passenger air service to the region has been a priority of the Committee of 100. The committee, along with local economic developers and other community members, worked for four years to bring passenger air service to Kinston. As an incentive to get Delta to the jetport, the Committee of 100 paid $200,000 to provide marketing for the airline.

Armistead Mauck, who is also a co-chairman of the Committee of 100's air services committee, added that even Delta officials had to admit that passenger load factors were excellent in Kinston and that community support for the air service had been strong.

"We were told (by a Delta official) that it was one of the most difficult phone calls to make to tell us that service will be discontinued," Mauck said. "It was difficult because of so much support from the community."

Gina Laughlin, a spokeswoman for Delta, said Nov. 3 that the airline's decision to pull out of Kinston is just a "business decision."

"What it comes down to is that the route is not economically viable for Delta in the long-term with all of the intensive competition from surrounding airports," she said. "Delta has to ensure that all of its planes are dedicated to routes that are going to be profitable."

That news is a disappointment to Delta passengers such as Charles King, of Goldsboro, who likes the convenience of jet service out of Kinston.

"What can be done to keep Delta here?," King asked Friday as he boarded a flight on his way to Birmingham, Ala. "We definitely need the airline to stay. It is convenient. The last flight I took, I was able to return to Kinston, pick up my luggage and be back at my back door in Goldsboro in only 51 minutes."

Until Delta's arrival in Kinston on April 1, 2005, there had been no commercial passenger air service at the jetport since U.S. Air halted turbo prop flights out of the facility in January 2000, said Don Howard, the jetport's operations manager. He added that there had been no jet service since 1993.

What impact Delta's departure will have on local economic development is still to be seen. Jet service has been a good tool for marketing Lenoir County, said Mark Pope, Lenoir County's economic developer. It also has been a plus for industrial recruitment efforts at the Global TransPark.

GTP executive director Darlene Waddell told The Free Press last week that the loss of Delta has "absolutely not" caused any prospective clients to lose interest in locating at the GTP. While she admits having passenger jet service was a great marketing tool, she said it was only one factor in selling the industrial park that is already attracting businesses involved in the aviation and aerospace industries.

"We still have other positives for marketing the park," she said, "We have an 11,500-foot runway and we are in the process of updating the jetport's instrument landing system."

"The community should be proud of what was done with Delta," Waddell added. "The community did everything that was right. We have proven that the region can support commercial passenger air service. Delta's decision to leave was entirely a business decision."

Howard agrees, and emphasized that load factors for Delta flights out of Kinston were one of the airline's highest.

"Recently load factors have been up to 86 percent," he said. "We did way past what was expected and Delta seemed satisfied. We did nothing wrong. We did 110 percent."

The manager said that the cost of preparing the jetport to handle Delta flights was relatively inexpensive. The facility was already equipped to handle commercial air service and only minor renovations to the jetport were needed.

Howard added that a search for another commercial airline to replace Delta will continue. "The future of the jetport is bright. Our future is to build on the charter base we now have and at the same time look for another passenger air carrier."

Howard said that the jetport is extensively used by charters flying gamblers to Atlantic City and to casinos along the Gulf Coast. He estimates that an excess of 5,500 people will have passed through the jetport on charters by the end of the year. That's twice as many as two years ago, he added.

Howard noted that the jetport is also well used by private and military aircraft. About 55,000-56,000 aircraft take offs and landings have been recorded at the jetport this year, he said, adding that these aircraft operations include everything from "touch and goes" to full stops.

Armed with documentation showing that commercial air service is viable for the region, Marshall and Mauck agree with Howard that a search will continue for another airline to provide passenger service out of Kinston.

"We will look at all options," Marshall said. "We now have a proven track record and product that we can use in making our case."

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