U.S. Airways has announced it will upgrade the planes on three of its seven daily flights from Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport to Charlotte, resulting in a greater passenger capacity and first-class seats.
Three CRJ-200 passenger planes, which seat 50 people in one class, will be upgraded to CRJ-700 planes beginning June 1. The CRJ-700 can carry 67 people, with nine in first class and 58 in the main cabin. This is the first time US Airways has offered first class seats in this market since the early 1990s.
“It’s great news for the airport and for the community,” said Ken Spirito, executive director of the airport. “US Airways is acknowledging there are premium flyers in the region, and they want to carry more of them out of Newport News.”
Spirito said the CRJ-200 flights are usually full, and the upgrade acknowledges the desire of the airline to be able to serve more passengers.
US Airways currently offers 13 daily departures from the airport, according to a news release announcing the change. The airline offers non-stop service to Atlanta, Charlotte, Denver, Orlando/Sanford and Philadelphia. Charlotte is a hub for US Airways, offering service to 139 destinations.
In addition to US Airways, the airport offers service from Allegiant, Delta and Frontier. The new first class seats on flights from the airport allow US Airways to join Delta in offering first class seating. Frontier offers what’s called “stretch seating,” which provides passengers more leg room and amenities, Spirito said.
The airport took a hit last year with the departure of AirTran, a major carrier at the airport that stopped service in March 2012 after Southwest Airlines acquired the carrier. Southwest bought the airline for $1 billion in May 2011 and announced that continued service to the airport was no longer financially prudent. As recently as 2010, the airline carried 43 percent of the passengers that moved through the airport.
Airport officials are in talks with PEOPLExpress Airlines to perhaps headquarter the airline at the airport.
“We’re anticipating PEOPLExpress to be operating fairly soon,” Spirito said. “They’re working toward establishing their network and creating their operations here at the airport.”
PEOPLExpress received a $500,000 short-term, refundable loan from the Regional Air Service Enhancement Committee in January so the airline could make a refundable deposit toward an airline they are looking at acquiring. It is unknown which airline they are in talks to purchase.
