NCWV Airport’s Daily Flight Service, and the Ongoing Terminal Project, Impacted by Government Shutdown

The tentacles of the ongoing federal government shutdown have impacted multiple operations statewide and locally, and the North Central West Virginia Airport is one of those entities impacted.

On Tuesday, North Central West Virginia Airport Director Rick Rock and Deputy Director Shawn Long talked publicly on some issues. Their comments came during the monthly meeting of the Benedum Airport Authority, the airport’s governing body.

For starters, the situation involving the daily flight service through Contour Air to Charlotte Douglas International Airport is facing issues on two fronts. The most critical of which could involve the daily flight being scrapped early next month, with some media reports listing the date as Nov 2.

The daily Contour flight from NCWV Airport is subsidized annually to the tune of millions of dollars by the FAA’s Essential Air Service (EAS). Like so many other programs, funding for it lapses during the shutdown. However, earlier this month a $41 million funding extension by the U.S. Department of Transportation kept the program going when money for it was expected to run out in mid-October.

The $41 million did not just help NCWV Airport. It provided continuation of flights for 170 communities nationwide.

“This affects a lot of people,” said Rock. “At this point, they have approved funding until, I believe Nov. 2. If the shutdown goes on past that we’ll just have to wait and see. We’ll continue to deal with the things we can control and, unfortunately, that is not one of them.”

Rock said he would advise passengers to continue to book as they have, and he noted many are doing that. And he also said once the government shutdown ends, he feels good that the EAS program will not be another government program that will be scrapped, defunded, or whittled down.

“I think (EAS is) going to continue. It’s an important program, particular for us and so many other rural communities,” said Rock. “Again, we can’t know much of anything without the government operating and functioning.”

The FAA also is not operating on other matters involving the EAS program during the shutdown. What that means is that the agency has not decided on whether to accept a new EAS carrier, American Airlines operating its American Eagle jets, for the NCWV Airport that would replace Contour.

Rock expected the FAA to approve the bid of American Airlines to replace Contour and give a West Virginia airport its first mainline carrier. The time to switch carriers would have been Dec. 1.

“That date has been delayed,” said Rock. “Contour will be in service until the new service starts.”

EAS does not subsidize the Allegiant destination flights. They are not impacted by the federal government’s shutdown.

Rock and Long both voiced their frustrations as to how the shutdown is impacting the opening of the $70 million terminal project. The federal agencies, of which there are multiple involved, are no longer available to work with.

Long said that one of the key ones needing to move ahead is the completion of the parking lot. The United States Economic Development Authority (EDA) was largely funding that project he said to the tune of $3.8 million.

With EDA staff furloughed, the project cannot even be put out to bid. This project, and several others, has moved the terminal’s opening for public use well into 2026 after the hope was to open in December.

For those wondering why the Benedum Airport Authority does not cover the cost and then get reimbursed by the EDA once operations resume, Long said that will not work. According to Long, any funds spent by the airport on the project prior to the bid being approved and the approved contractor doing the work will not be reimbursed by the EDA. Long said some agencies, like the FAA, do allow for reimbursement. Others, such as the EDA, do not.

“This is going to add months to the project,” Rock said. “The exact timeline, without knowing when things will resume, is unknown. The good news is there is other construction going on so there is progress, but not as much as we expected.”

Editor’s Note: Top photo shows NCWV Airport Director Rick Rock fielding questions from the media following Tuesday’s meeting, while Deputy Director Shawn Long is shown below updating the Airport Authority on the paving project. Bottom image shows a Contour plane landing Tuesday in Bridgeport.