Over the past year, you may have noticed a few new faces enthusiastically making their way around the airport. These furry, affectionate companions are tasked with bringing joy to the terminal. Sitting, shaking and even rolling over, these sweet dogs know they have a job to do; and they take it very seriously.

One year ago, Asheville Regional Airport (AVL) kicked of a new program called Paws for Passengers.  Ambassador teams - special human handlers and their trained pups - visit the airport every day, sharing affection, smiles, wagging tails and calming moments for people at the airport.

Asheville Regional Airport officially celebrated the opening of its new 5-story parking garage on Wednesday, March 14 at 10am.  The Asheville and Henderson County Chambers of Commerce joined airport officials, the project consultants and contractors, airport staff and members of the community to commemorate this historic milestone in our region's airport's growth.

"Utilization of our region's airport has exceeded projections four years in a row, and the need for additional parking had to be prioritized sooner than our master plan indicated," said Lew Bleiweis, A.A.E., AVL Executive Director.  "We are proud of the end result, and pleased to now offer ample parking for our customers that is convenient, covered and an easy walk to the terminal."

The parking garage offers 1,100 public parking spaces, and several hundred spaces on the lowest level designated as the rental car ready return lot.  The garage augments 700 long-term surface lot spaces, and approximately 100 short-term surface lot spaces.

The  $22 million parking garage project took one year to complete, and has a unique architectural appearance featuring 3-story metal perforated walls that depict almost photographic images of the Blue Ridge Mountains.  One of only a handful of such structures in the United States, the metal panels that make up the imagery are also functional, allowing airflow and protection from the elements inside the garage.

The primary consultant on the project was Delta Airport Consultants, with structural design by Walker Consultants, architectural design by Gresham, Smith and Partners, the contractor was local company American South General Contractors, and utilities by Vaughn & Melton, also a local firm.

Asheville Regional Airport is served by five airlines:  Allegiant, American, Delta, Elite and United.  For more information, visit flyavl.com.

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(Asheville, N.C.) Today, Allegiant announced new nonstop service from Asheville Regional Airport (AVL) twice weekly through the summer.

Regional leaders held a press conference today to celebrate the new route, and to highlight its importance to the western North Carolina region.

"The community has been asking for a nonstop to Denver for many years, and we have been advocating strongly for a long time," said Lew Bleiweis, AVL Executive Director. "There is a significant link between both cities and regions, leisure and business ties alike. Denver has consistently been in the top ten markets served by AVL, even without a nonstop flight option. With the addition of a nonstop option, we anticipate that the travel numbers to and from both locations will soar."

The Denver route will be the only nonstop option within a two-hour drive from most of western North Carolina, a significant achievement for AVL. "It is a privilege to serve on the airport authority board, and to be a part of strategic planning and decisions that affect the success of our region's airport," said Matthew Burril, Vice Chair of the Greater Asheville Regional Airport Authority Board. "We know that this new route will not only attract our local travelers, but also those from the greater region. It will truly be the easiest flight to Denver for people in WNC, parts of the upstate and friends in Tennessee, and is a great addition to the flight options available right here at AVL."

The local ties to Denver already include a strong daily number of people traveling to and from Denver. Local business links include New Belgium Brewing and Oskar Blues, both headquartered near Denver, with operations also located in western North Carolina. The Asheville Tourists minor league baseball team is connected to Denver's major league team, the Colorado Rockies, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has significant locations in both Asheville and near Denver.

"Whether we are recruiting a new business, attracting new talent or welcoming visitors, direct access is an advantage," said Kit Cramer, President and CEO of the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce.  "Denver is a gateway to the west and we are thrilled to have a direct flight connecting us." 

"The Asheville Regional Airport is a key player in maintaining a strong regional economy - providing safe, efficient and affordable service to business and leisure travelers," said Bob Williford, President of the Henderson County Chamber. "We are excited to see this success continue with yet another terrific announcement from Allegiant."

From a tourism perspective, Asheville and western North Carolina continue to be recognized far and wide. "Asheville's elevation as a popular destination has reached a national scale," said Stephanie Brown, President and CEO of Explore Asheville CVB.  "We are so pleased that Allegiant continues to recognize this fact, and celebrate the opening of this fantastic gateway to our region.  We look forward to welcoming many visitors from Denver and the west."

The airport and community leaders encourage the greater region to use this new service. "It is very important that our region's travelers use this new service. With strong utilization, we can make a compelling case for the service to continue year-round," said Bleiweis. "Asheville Regional Airport is now a small hub airport, and we anticipate our growth to continue. Thank you, western North Carolina, for flying from your local airport, and we also thank Allegiant for their continued commitment to growth in our region."

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By the numbers:

• Allegiant has made significant investment in our region, designating AVL as one of only 14 base cities in their network
  • 60+ local jobs with Allegiant
  • 19 local jobs with Worldwide Flight Services, the affiliated ground handler
  • maintenance facility
  • two based aircraft

• Allegiant provides 31% of all air service at AVL

• In 2017, Allegiant served 294,050 passengers to and from AVL

• Allegiant now serves seven destinations from AVL:
  • Baltimore/Washington (D.C. area)
  • Denver
  • Fort Lauderdale
  • Newark (New York City area)
  • Orlando (Sanford)
  • Punta Gorda
  • St. Pete-Clearwater (Tampa area)

We don’t control which airlines serve our airport, what routes they fly and the prices they charge for their tickets.

We don’t know how many passengers will fly next month, where, or how much they will pay for their plane tickets. 

We don’t have a crystal ball. 

But – we do have planning tools.  Airports use a number of tools to understand growth patterns, possibilities and forecasts.  And we use tools to plan for the future.

Asheville Regional Airport is in active planning now, as we continue to see significant growth in the utilization of our airport.  Specifically, we are conducting what’s called a “terminal assessment study.”  In essence, we need to know what changes we need to make to our physical space in order to adequately accommodate growth in the immediate and long-term future.

But how do we conduct such a study?  We work with qualified professionals who can assess many things, and give us quality, educated forecasts related to our needs.

Specifically, we have aviation consultants who study data such as historic passenger trends, what is happening in the airline industry relating to growth, airline fleet plans, historic and projected population growth in our primary market area, and other information to forecast possible passenger growth in the short, mid- and long-term future.

This information is used to assess aircraft and passenger utilization of our airport’s physical space, also in the short, mid- and long-term future. 

Do we have enough aircraft parking space?  Is our airfield prepared for the mix of airplane fleets that will be used in the future?  What about the terminal – is our gate space large enough?  Do we have enough restrooms, is our security screening area large enough, and what about the utilities to support our infrastructure?  These questions can also be answered by qualified engineers and other professionals.

By identifying a projected forecast of growth, using available data, information and expertise, we can confidently plan for the future.  And we are looking forward to the next steps in our work to ensure western North Carolina’s airport is poised and ready for continued air service expansion.