Delta's Rough Hickory Airport Ride Ends After Just 9 Months
The final Delta Connection flight from Hickory Regional Airport sped down the runway in a cold, steady drizzle Monday, disappearing into the low clouds at 8:43 a.m.
Just like that, it was gone.
In most ways it was a fitting conclusion to the short and bumpy ride that began early May 1, when Delta service to Atlanta debuted. The first flight carried about 25 people, including enthusiastic local dignitaries and at least one airline official. The last flight had six passengers -- on a 50-seat jet.
Before customers arrived, employees busied themselves behind the ticket counter. Station manager Josh Person -- who went through this before, when Delta left Midland, Texas -- is transferring to Bloomington, Ill.
Lead agent Josh Disher, a Hickory native and recent Appalachian State graduate, is going with him. "I'm just glad to get out of Hickory," he said. The other Delta employees chose not to take new jobs elsewhere and will stay in the area.
The airport will continue to serve general and corporate aviation.
On the calendar behind the counter, the date was marked with the words "HKY closed." The arrivals board was empty, and only one departing flight remained: Flight 4657, which was delayed about 40 minutes.
The first passenger, Sandra Labbitt of Huntington Beach, Calif., breezed in about 7 a.m., as 1960s and '70s rock played over the terminal speakers.
"I see this is the swan song flight," joked her stepfather, Philip Garrou of Valdese.
"Do we get something special?" Labbitt asked, lifting her bags on the scale.
"A seat," Person said.
"Oh, a seat, thank you!" said Labbitt, who has used Hickory Regional on and off for 35 years and appreciated its convenience.
Next to arrive was Pat Purtill of Banner Elk, who after years of flying out of Charlotte decided to give Hickory a try. When she first searched for tickets, however, she discovered all return flights ended in Charlotte. She said she thought it was weird, but went ahead and booked her flight to Tucson, Ariz., anyway.
She discovered the reality only on Thursday, while watching television news. But that was sooner than Sara Brown of Arlington, Va., who was flying from Hickory because it was cheaper than last-minute fares from her hometown of Asheville: She found out at the airport Monday.
After the passengers headed through security, shoes off, staff began taking apart the screening machine and pulling down Transportation Safety Administration posters.
A group of employees stood farther back in the waiting area, watching the Bombardier jet as it sat in the rain.
"Come to see her go, did you?" asked baggage handling manager Randy Church.
"Yeah, I thought I'd come to the funeral," said ticket agent Ron McConnell, who wasn't working Monday.
The three TSA screeners assigned to Hickory will head back to jobs in Charlotte "with a heavy heart," screener Vicki Yount said.
Here, she said, people knew and took care of each other. "It was like one nine-month episode of `Wings,' " she said, referring to the 1990s sitcom about a small, quirky airport. She rested her knee on the bench at the front window and looked out at the parking lot. "I don't want to see (the plane) take off," she said. "I'm struggling as it is."
A few minutes later she sniffled into a tissue. "It's been a wonderful nine months up here," she said. "It's just a shame it didn't fly."
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