Community buy-in for new airline at Salisbury Airport grows wings
SALISBURY, Md. – If you’re a local looking to take a flight, but have a destination other than Philadelphia or Charlotte in mind, you’re probably factoring in a two to three hour drive into your travel time, and skipping the Salisbury Airport.
Gearing Up For Grant
Currently, Piedmont Airlines, a subsidiary of American Airlines Group, is headquarterd in Salisbury. Airport officials are working to bring in an additional airline partner. However, Airport Manager Tony Rudy says they need community buy-in to make that dream a reality.
“We’ve been talking to airlines over the past few years now, and now the airlines seem to be in growth mode, not just survival mode,” Rudy said. “So, we figure the timing is right.”
The clock is ticking, however, for airport officials to collect enough funds for lift-off. They’re preparing to apply for an $800,000 Small Community Air Service Development Grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT).
“In order to be successful with our grant application, usually they look at the community support that we have behind it, not only in terms of letters of support, but also local contributions,” Rudy explained.
Community Buy-In
And, so far, the effort has grown wings. Wicomico and Worcester County’s respective governments have each pledged $50,000. That’s on top of $70,000 promised from individuals and local businesses.
“That tells me how important our airport is to our region’s economy; the simple fact that businesses and county governments stepped up immediately,” said Salisbury Area Chamber of Commerce President Bill Chambers. “This is a no-brainer decision.”
The effort to collect pledges for funds is all to ensure that the yet-to-be-named airline has a successful take-off in Salisbury.
“They take a big financial risk in starting up a new service,” Rudy said. “So, this will help put them at ease a little bit, if it takes a while for passengers to start traveling on them.”
If none of the money pledged ends up being used, Rudy says those funds will back to those who pledged them. “It’s not simply a blank check; it’s measured out over time, and it just helps decrease the risk of an airline to start service here,” he said.
Boosting Business
Just 12 years ago, Allegiant Airlines began shuttling passengers from Salisbury to Orlando, but that only lasted less than a year.
Chambers, however, predicts the new airline will have no trouble getting their engines running at the local airport. He said that expanded service would be highly attractive for customers on the Eastern Shores of both Maryland and Virginia, as well as Delawareans in Kent and Sussex Counties.
“When you look at the license plates in the parking lot at the airport today, about half are from Delaware,” Chambers said. “Getting [an additional] carrier to fly out of Salisbury Airport will get an increase of those Sussex County folks using our airport instead of driving north to Philadelphia.”
Rudy agrees, saying that Salisbury Airport needs to stay competetive to keep flying high. “There are tens of thousands of passengers a year that we’re losing to other airports. So, we’re hoping to capture some of that back.”
Ripple Effect
And it’s not just the airport that stands to benefit, says Chambers.
“We’re talking about increased jobs with a new carrier,” Chambers said. “Ancillary jobs will be created as a result of having a new carrier at the airport, and then we’ll see, in general, more spending locally.”
And with that, comes the potential for new residents, Chambers added.
“The cost of living is incredibly low, home values are reasonable, and we have everything here; world-class higher education, world-class medical facilities. This is a highly desireable area to live in,” Chambers said. “There has been an outflow, in the last five years, in Florida of retirees to other states. I’d love to see Maryland on the list of states that retirees want to relocate to.”
Looking Ahead
Looking ahead, Rudy says the new airline will likely run two to three flights per week to start. He added that it will be a low-cost carrier, although, it’s too early to name the company outright.
The Wicomico County Airport Commission plans to meet on July 8th to firm up details and report any additional contributions made.
The grant application deadline, meanwhile, is fast approaching. Rudy is hoping to have any other pledges from the community made to the airport by the end of next week, as grant applications are due July 25th.
If the grant is awarded to the airport by USDOT, and the airline agrees to the airport’s terms of opperation, Rudy says service may begin as soon as early 2025.
