Starting July 14, 2017, there will be new ambassadors at Asheville Regional Airport. These volunteers will have four legs, wagging tails and lots of affection to share with passengers and visitors. They may even share a few kisses.

Their names are Grace, Sam, Doc, Sunny, Daisy, Baby, Jelly, Willa and Brody. And these ambassadors are part of a new program called "Paws for Passengers," in which pet therapy dogs and their handlers will meander through the airport terminal during busy times each week. The pet therapy dogs are mild-mannered, friendly and trained companions who enjoy visiting with people of all ages, and their handlers have hearts of service.

 "When asked why we started this new program at the airport, I immediately think about our region and how pet-friendly we are," said Lew Bleiweis, A.A.E., Executive Director. "It is a good fit for Asheville Regional Airport to have this program that allows certified pets in the terminal to help bring some cheer, welcome locals and visitors, perhaps calm some nerves and provide a unique passenger experience."

The program currently has eleven volunteer handlers and nine pet therapy dogs, from Labradors and a miniature Greyhound to rescue dogs of various mixed breeds. All dogs and handlers are trained and certified by either Therapy Dogs, Inc. or Pet Partners, both national organizations committed to training, testing and certification, regulating, insuring and registering therapy dogs and their volunteer handlers so they are prepared to visit public places.

The volunteers have also participated in an in-depth airport orientation and training, and will be part of the Guest Services volunteer team.

"We are excited to join the small but growing list of airports that offer pet therapy programs," said Tina Kinsey, A.A.E., Marketing & PR Director. "Our program is the only one offered at an airport within two hours of AVL, and is just one more way we are focusing on passengers."

For more information about the program, including the application to become a Paws for Passengers volunteer, visit flyavl.com.

(Asheville, N.C.) The Art Gallery at Asheville Regional Airport (AVL) unveiled a new exhibit, Origin, on display through October 29, 2017.  The exhibit features artwork from four artists whose work reflects the western North Carolina region.

Acrylic paintings by Kim Rody Kopp welcome summer to the mountains with her use of color in vibrant statement pieces, capturing views from the area. The archival photographic prints by Bonnie Cooper and Dan McGowan strategically document a piece of the heritage of WNC. Paul Karnowski's canvases leave the viewer considering the dynamics between where things begin and end.

Whether Asheville is one's origin or destination, the exhibit at the airport gallery delivers a bright and thought provoking showcase. Origin invites travelers to take a glimpse of the area through a new perspective.

"The art gallery is truly a way for both the passengers and public alike to experience a taste of our region," said Alexandra Bradley, Marketing and Public Relations Specialist at AVL and curator of the gallery. 

Artwork can be purchased from the gallery by emailing art@flyavl.com. Artists who reside in any of the eleven counties within AVL's primary service market may apply for acceptance into upcoming exhibits. Details about the program, including application instructions, can be found on the airport's website at flyavl.com.

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Did you have a cool nickname as a kid? Maybe one of your friends did. We all know someone with a longer name that prefers to go by an abbreviation or nickname. When it comes to radio communications, airlines work exactly the same way.

Every airline has its own call sign for use in radio communications. Any given flight will be known over the radios as its airline call sign followed by that flight’s number — Delta 993 for example. A commercial flight will use this call sign from the scheduled departure gate to the scheduled arrival gate, even if that flight diverts or needs to make a stop for any reason.

If an aircraft is not part of an airline or air carrier’s fleet, then it will be identified by its aircraft type and tail number by Air Traffic Control (ATC). Also, the phonetic alphabet is used globally in aviation, for consistency. Instead of just saying “A” you’d say “alpha,” and “N” would be “November” and so on. A Learjet with the tail number N45LJ would be referred to as “Learjet 45 Lima Juliet.” Most smaller general aviation aircraft and business jets are identified this way.

If you think about it, the way in which airplanes are assigned call signs is no different from the way people get their nicknames. Sometimes people will shorten their first name and other times they’ll go by their middle name or something that represents them. Other times, they’ll just make something up!

Delta, American and United each keep it straightforward by using only their airline’s proper name as the call sign, but some airlines have had very creative call signs over the years. Check out these examples — some of which are from airlines that have since merged with other airlines, but the nicknames still retain their cool factor!

• America West – “Cactus” due to their headquarters in Phoenix, AZ
• AirTran – “Citrus” due to their Orlando, FL headquarters and heavy emphasis on flights originating in Florida
• Virgin America – “Redwood” named for the California Redwood tree, due their San Francisco headquarters and California focus
• Atlas Air – “Giant” because this airline, for much of their history, only flew the massive Boeing 747 freighter

Two of the more unique and creative call signs flying in the U.S. today actually belong to Trans States and Republic Airlines — two regional airlines. Republic flies regional jets for Delta, United and American. This Indianapolis-based airline uses the call sign “brickyard,” paying homage to the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway — aka “The Brickyard.” Trans States flights use the call sign “waterski.” Yes, waterski, the aquatic activity. This call sign dates back to the airline’s beginning in 1982 as a tiny carrier named Resort Air that primarily carried passengers to the Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri.

Call signs, like names, come in all shapes and sizes but they’re each unique to one airline or airplane. In a way, they’re even more unique than a personal name because at no given time will there ever be two planes in the air with the same call sign. The call sign system is just one of the many structures in place to keep air traffic flowing smoothly and safely.

Do you ever pay close attention to the writing next to the door when boarding an aircraft? While you booked on Delta, American, or United, you’ll see things like “operated by PSA” or “operated by ExpressJet” painted near the nose of many flights you take. These flights are operated by regional airlines. Regional airlines have been around since the dawn of commercial air service and continue to be a large and vital part of the airline industry, including here at AVL.

Technically, almost every airline before the jet age began as a regional airline. In the early days, airlines didn’t have hubs designed to connect passengers from various flights, and instead flew long routes with multiple stops along the way. Even early cross-country flights made dozens of stops along the way, allowing passengers to travel regionally or coast-to-coast. Can you imagine booking a flight to California… but stopping in eight or nine cities en route? So what changed between then and now?

Prior to 1978, the government regulated all domestic interstate airline routes, controlling which airlines could fly where, and even their schedules and fares. All this changed in 1978 when the Airline Deregulation Act essentially made the airline industry a free market. This resulted in many existing airlines focusing operations in a few key cities, thereby leading to the formation of the very first airline hubs. There were also dozens of new airlines being created all across the United States. Many of these airlines chose to operate smaller airplanes (in the nine- to fifty-seat range) and focused on connecting smaller cities with major cities and the newly forming airline hubs. Some of these smaller regional airlines of the 1980s laid the foundation for the regional airlines of today.

Today, regional airlines largely fly on behalf of larger airlines like American, United or Delta. They generally fly regional jets and turboprop aircraft with 76 seats or less, and are flown on routes where larger aircraft wouldn’t be as economically viable. These routes often include flights to smaller cities from hubs and flights between lucrative business markets that demand high frequency. Larger airlines don’t fly these planes themselves because their cost structure is built around flying and maintaining much larger airplanes.

Some of these regional airlines are wholly owned by a major airline and others are private entities. Most of their flying is dictated by the major airlines for which they fly. In these scenarios, an airline like Delta will pay a regional airline like ExpressJet to fly routes on its behalf and with its brand. The aircraft will say Delta, your ticket will say Delta, you’ll use a Delta gate and the flight crew will welcome you aboard a Delta Connection flight, but the flight itself may be operated by ExpressJet, Endeavor, SkyWest, or other regional airlines. Each of the 3 major airlines brand the flights operated by their regional partners as Delta Connection, American Eagle, and United Express, respectively.

Without regional airlines, today’s airline industry would look very different. Airports like AVL would only have three or four flights to Atlanta and Charlotte on bigger airplanes, instead of double that frequency on smaller jets. Statistics have shown that increased flight options leads to increased travel in cities our size, which is great not only for that trip you’re planning, but also for bringing more visitors (and more visitor spending) into our region.Do you ever pay close attention to the writing next to the door when boarding an aircraft? While you booked on Delta, American, or United, you’ll see things like “operated by PSA” or “operated by ExpressJet” painted near the nose of many flights you take. These flights are operated by regional airlines. Regional airlines have been around since the dawn of commercial air service and continue to be a large and vital part of the airline industry, including here at AVL.

Technically, almost every airline before the jet age began as a regional airline. In the early days, airlines didn’t have hubs designed to connect passengers from various flights, and instead flew long routes with multiple stops along the way. Even early cross-country flights made dozens of stops along the way, allowing passengers to travel regionally or coast-to-coast. Can you imagine booking a flight to California… but stopping in eight or nine cities en route? So what changed between then and now?

Prior to 1978, the government regulated all domestic interstate airline routes, controlling which airlines could fly where, and even their schedules and fares. All this changed in 1978 when the Airline Deregulation Act essentially made the airline industry a free market. This resulted in many existing airlines focusing operations in a few key cities, thereby leading to the formation of the very first airline hubs. There were also dozens of new airlines being created all across the United States. Many of these airlines chose to operate smaller airplanes (in the nine- to fifty-seat range) and focused on connecting smaller cities with major cities and the newly forming airline hubs. Some of these smaller regional airlines of the 1980s laid the foundation for the regional airlines of today.

Today, regional airlines largely fly on behalf of larger airlines like American, United or Delta. They generally fly regional jets and turboprop aircraft with 76 seats or less, and are flown on routes where larger aircraft wouldn’t be as economically viable. These routes often include flights to smaller cities from hubs and flights between lucrative business markets that demand high frequency. Larger airlines don’t fly these planes themselves because their cost structure is built around flying and maintaining much larger airplanes.

Some of these regional airlines are wholly owned by a major airline and others are private entities. Most of their flying is dictated by the major airlines for which they fly. In these scenarios, an airline like Delta will pay a regional airline like ExpressJet to fly routes on its behalf and with its brand. The aircraft will say Delta, your ticket will say Delta, you’ll use a Delta gate and the flight crew will welcome you aboard a Delta Connection flight, but the flight itself may be operated by ExpressJet, Endeavor, SkyWest, or other regional airlines. Each of the 3 major airlines brand the flights operated by their regional partners as Delta Connection, American Eagle, and United Express, respectively.

Without regional airlines, today’s airline industry would look very different. Airports like AVL would only have three or four flights to Atlanta and Charlotte on bigger airplanes, instead of double that frequency on smaller jets. Statistics have shown that increased flight options leads to increased travel in cities our size, which is great not only for that trip you’re planning, but also for bringing more visitors (and more visitor spending) into our region. 

If you’ve ever had the opportunity to listen to Air Traffic Control (ATC) communicating with pilots over a radio scanner, you’ve probably thought they’re speaking in some English-hybrid, coded language. In many ways, you’re right. While English is the globally accepted language for ATC, there are many special codes and terms that are used in aviation, such as the phonetic alphabet (Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, Echo, and so on). This allows consistency worldwide as flights move through numerous airspaces and speak to multiple controllers throughout their journey. 

Even on the shortest of flights, your pilots are likely talking to no less than seven separate air traffic controllers from gate to gate. On longer flights, this number could easily double. This happens because each controller is typically only working one section of an airport, or one sector of an airspace. 

During the preflight procedures, often before boarding is even complete, your pilot will contact Clearance Delivery, known as “Clearance.” The pilot radios the clearance controller with their flight number and destination and the controller replies that they’re cleared to the destination as their flight plan indicates, or if there have been any changes implemented to their flight plan by the FAA. Clearance also often gives the pilot an initial altitude to expect after takeoff, the cruising altitude to expect and the frequency they’ll need to contact the departure controller after takeoff. When traveling to a busier airspace, clearance may also give the pilot a specific window of time during which to takeoff in order to arrive at the flight’s pre-sequenced time.

When your flight is ready to leave the gate, your pilot contacts Ground Control, known simply as “Ground.” The ground controller will give them permission to push back onto a given taxiway or another designated location. Ground controllers are responsible for all movements along airport taxiways. At busier airports like Atlanta or Charlotte, the ramp areas (the paved area between gates and taxiways) each have their own controllers that direct the movement of airplanes into and out of gates. After being cleared by ramp or ground controllers to push back and doing so, the pilot notifies the ground controller when he or she is ready to taxi to the runway and is given clearance to do so.

Here at Asheville and in other mid-sized airports, your departure runway will always be dictated almost exclusively by wind direction. Aircraft always takeoff and land into the wind, as best as the runway layout of an airport permits. At busier airports with multiple runways, the direction into which you’ll be exiting the airspace also determines the runway to which you are assigned. For example, when departing Atlanta and heading north, west, or any direction in between, flights generally use the runway on the north side of the field. South and eastbound flights use the southern runway. When nearing the end of the departure runway, the pilots switch from ground to Tower Control, commonly known as “tower” and notify the tower controller that they’re prepared to depart.

Tower controllers are the controllers that most everyone is thinking of when they think of ATC — thanks in part to films like Pushing Tin. Tower controllers are positioned in an airport’s control tower and are responsible for all movements on an airport’s runway, which mostly consist of takeoff and landing clearances. Takeoff clearance usually includes a heading (direction) to fly, or a waypoint (invisible directional marker) to turn towards, along with an initial altitude to climb to and not exceed.

Very shortly after becoming airborne, the control tower tells your pilots to contact Departure. Departure controllers, along with approach controllers, make up the Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON). They’re responsible for all aircraft within 30 to 50 miles, and in some cases up to 100 miles, of an airport. Departure handles all departing flights from shortly after takeoff until they are leaving the airport’s airspace. Approach handles all arrivals from airspace entry until they are close enough to the airport to be handed to the control tower. Pilots only spend a few minutes communicating with departure before out-climbing the airspace and being directed to contact an Area Control Center, known simply as “Center.”

Center control facilities house numerous controllers and are responsible for controlling aircraft that are en route over large regions. There are only 20 centers to cover all of the U.S. airspace. A flight from AVL to Charlotte will only communicate with Atlanta Center, but a flight to Chicago will communicate with Atlanta, Indianapolis and Chicago Center while enroute. Once your flight has contacted center, they are cleared to their final cruising altitude, traffic permitting. Center is responsible for your flight until you’re close enough to your destination’s airspace to be handed to the approach controller.

At this point, the entire progression of controllers essentially goes in reverse. Through approach, landing, taxi and parking, your pilots will communicate with Center, Approach, Tower, Ground and possibly Ramp — in that order.

While this may seem like an intricate web of communication, most transmissions are very brief and odds are your flight will never have to deviate from its original flight plan in any way. Between flight-planning technology, aircraft navigation abilities and aircraft sequencing technology, most adjustments that controllers do have to make are minor, even in the busiest of airspaces. Controllers are yet another piece in the system that keeps air traffic moving safely and efficiently around the world! 

AVL. We use it all the time. Fly AVL. FlyAVL.com. Facebook.com/FlyAVL. @FlyAVLnow on Twitter. You probably know that AVL has something to do with the airport, and you see it on your bag tag, but what does AVL really mean? What’s an “AVL”?

AVL is our airport’s identification code. All airports are known in aviation, largely, by their code. Airports are assigned codes by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). In the United States, the Federal Aviation Administration also assigns or acknowledges a code as an airport’s location identifier. These codes are used for many purposes, from flight planning to record keeping.

IATA codes are three characters in length and ICAO codes are four characters, with the first being a country or region identifier. Most U.S. airport codes begin with the letter K, Canadian airports the letter C, Europe the letter E and so on. In Asheville’s case, our codes are AVL and KAVL, respectively. The picture below shows every region around the world and its corresponding prefix under ICAO standards.

Generally, airlines use the IATA codes to identify airports when presenting them in public places; like their websites and reservation systems. The ICAO codes are used for navigation and flight planning purposes. This probably has to do with the fact that most IATA codes are common-sense oriented, whereas ICAO codes are less straight forward, especially in other countries.

Internationally, it’s normal for an airport’s IATA and ICAO codes to be completely different from one other. London Heathrow is known to IATA as LHR (which most frequent travers are familiar with) and to ICAO as EGLL. Charles De Gaulle airport in Paris is known as CDG to IATA and LFPG to ICAO. If you happened to fly to Charles De Gaulle, your ticket and baggage tag would say CDG, but the flight plan would be filed with “LFPG” as the destination. The IATA codes are often very easy to associate with the name of the airport. Many frequent travelers can quickly make sense of codes like LHR, CDG, FRA, AMS, and so on. Their ICAO counterparts of EGLL, LFPG, EDDF, EHAM… not so much.

In the U.S., most airports’ IATA and ICAO codes are the same, with the exception that the ICAO code adds the “K” at the beginning. There are rare exceptions, though, such as the Branson airport, which is known by IATA as BKG and ICAO as KBBG. There are a fair number of exceptions, each with its own interesting story that often ties a seemingly bizarre code back to its original meaning.

Chicago O’Hare bears the code ORD, as the site of the airport used to be known as Orchard Field. New Orleans is known as MSY, for the Moisant Stock Yards that used to occupy that airport’s location. Some western airports such as Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Portland simply added an “X” to their existing weather station codes, leaving us with LAX, PHX and PDX respectively. Cincinnati uses CVG, as the airport sits in Covington, Kentucky and Louisville is known as SDF, derived from the airport’s original name, “Standiford Field.”

The next time you pick up your luggage from baggage claim, take a look at the codes on the tag. Odds are, you’ll recognize what you see, but you just might discover a new one. There are also a handful of websites (like this one) that tell some of the interesting stories about the origins of specific airport codes.

While we’re on the subject, here’s a useful tip every traveler should know: When you’re booking travel online, you can generally enter the airport code in the “departure city” and “arrival city” fields to speed your search process — if you know the codes! We might be biased, but we think the most important one you need to know is AVL!

Elite Airways LLC today announced new nonstop flights between Asheville Regional Airport (AVL) and Vero Beach Regional Airport (VRB) in Florida. The new flights, scheduled on Thursdays and Sundays between VRB and AVL will begin on May 25. Early-bird fares start at $179 each way and tickets are now on sale at 877-393-2510 and EliteAirways.com.

Elite Airways operates a fleet of Bombardier CRJ-200 and CRJ-700 jet airliners known for comfort and efficiency, and maintains an impeccable safety record. Passengers receive free onboard snacks and beverages, first checked bag up to 50lbs, and no ticketing change fees* (see website for details). Asheville is located within North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains and is known for a vibrant arts scene, national parks and hiking trails, and historic architecture. Vero Beach offers luxury beachfront living and resorts, world-class golf, dining, shopping, fine arts and cultural attractions.

“We are pleased to offer nonstop jet service between Asheville and Vero Beach with a Thursday/Sunday schedule that will be ideal for vacationers headed in either direction,” said John Pearsall, President of Elite Airways. “We look forward to providing service in Asheville and sincerely thank airport and community leaders for their support.”

“Asheville Regional Airport is growing significantly, with more passengers than ever before flying to and from western North Carolina,” said Lew Bleiweis, A.A.E., Executive Director.  “We are pleased to welcome Elite Airways as the newest airline at AVL, and look forward to welcoming travelers to and from Vero Beach, Florida.”           

“Nonstop jet service to Asheville is a unique addition at VRB, and one that has been highly sought after by passengers who would rather take a nonstop flight versus a ten hour drive. The airport is pleased to see new markets and travel opportunities open up to the area, and we thank Elite Airways for expanding its service at Vero Beach Regional Airport,” said Airport Executive Director, Eric Menger.

About Elite Airways

Elite Airways LLC was founded in 2006 by airline veterans with the goal to provide passengers a better travel experience with nonstop flights, competitive prices and exceptional service. Elite Airways is a U.S. Part 121 Air Carrier and provides charter and scheduled service throughout the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Caribbean, and South America.  The airline’s routes connect underserved communities with popular destinations that include New York City/Newark, Portland ME, Asheville NC, Orlando-Melbourne, Sarasota-Bradenton, and Vero Beach FL, and the island of Bimini in the Bahamas. Headquartered in Portland Maine, Elite Airways’ maintenance operations center is located in Melbourne on Florida’s Space Coast. All scheduled flights are sold and operated by Elite Airways LLC, and available for purchase at www.eliteairways.com or by calling 877-393-2510.

For Reservations: 1-877-393-2510                                                      

Customer Service: 321-265-5100 ext. 103                                          

Email:  info@eliteairways.com                                                             

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*Starting fare for a one way ticket. **For Elite Airways flights, the first checked bag and carry-on will be free, $50.00 for a second checked bag, and $75.00 for the third checked bag per person. Each checked bag weighing between 51 and 70 pounds will be assessed a fee of $25 in addition to the checked bag fee. Each checked bag weighing between 71 and 100 pounds will be assessed a fee of $100. Visit EliteAirways.com for more details on our standard baggage service fee schedule. Dates of the advertised flights are subject to change in accordance with regulatory requirements. See the TSA website for a list of prohibited items.

(Asheville, N.C.) The newest show at the Asheville Regional Airport Art Gallery opens to the public today. Flourish showcases fine art from four local artists in a variety of mediums.The exhibit is on display now through June 2017.

Noticed in the exhibit is acrylic brush work from Michelle Baker, hangings by fiber artist Karen-Eve Bayne, organic metal structures by Mark Olivari, and oils on canvases by Mari Lou Solares. 

Aptly suited to its name, Flourish lends itself to the welcoming of a new season in the Appalachian Mountains, by highlighting flourishing shapes, forms, and colors. The new exhibit tells a visual story through the arrangement of pliable fibers, rigid metal structures, and strategic brush strokes.

"The art gallery is truly a way for both the passengers and public alike to experience a taste of our region," said Alexandra Bradley, Marketing and Public Relations Specialist at AVL and curator of the gallery. 

Artwork can be purchased from the gallery by emailing art@flyavl.com. Artists who reside in any of the eleven counties within AVL's primary service market may apply for acceptance into upcoming exhibits. Details about the program, including application instructions, can be found on the airport's website at flyavl.com.

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Flight crews will often tell you that the aircraft is pressurized for your comfort. While this is reassuring to hear, have you ever wondered what it actually means? What is cabin pressurization and why is it necessary?

While people can adapt to high altitudes, climbing and descending as quickly as an aircraft does would be extremely uncomfortable. The higher the altitude, the less oxygen there is in the air and the lower the overall air pressure is. If flights were not pressurized, passengers would be at risk of various physiological aliments. Because of this, federal regulations require that all commercial flights over 8,000 feet be pressurized.

So how does it work? Aircraft are pressurized by pumping cooled and humidified air into the aircraft’s cabin during flight. This flow of air into the cabin is constant. Depending on the aircraft, this air can be bleed air (air generated by the engines), fresh air from outside or a mixture of both. The pressurization system is designed to slowly raise and lower the cabin altitude as a flight climbs and descends, to allow as gentle a transition as possible for passengers.

When your flight is zipping along at 40,000 feet, the pressure in the cabin will be similar to the pressure at 5,000 or 6,000 feet in elevation. This is a comfortable elevation for the human body, but is still not the same as being on the ground. Essentially, being in a pressurized cabin is more like standing on a small mountain than being on the ground at sea level, or even at Asheville’s elevation of just over 2,000 feet. Most of the physiological quirks that some people experience when flying, like jet lag, are the result of the cabin altitude.

A depressurization event (when a pressurized aircraft loses cabin pressure for any reason) is extremely unlikely, but flight crews are trained extensively on how to handle them. In the event of a depressurization, oxygen masks will deploy for every passenger. Oxygen mask demonstrations are always a part of the flight attendant’s safety briefing, and if you’re a frequent flier, you could probably run the demonstration yourself after having seen it so many times. Oxygen masks are designed to deploy if the cabin altitude exceeds 14,000 feet for any reason. A little-known fact about oxygen masks is that there is typically an extra mask in every row of seats on a plane. This means an airplane with three seats on each side of the aisle will have eight masks in that row. These extra masks are for those traveling with a lap child (an infant in their lap), and is also why airlines have a restriction on the number of lap children that can be in any given row.

The number one priority in aviation is always safety, so you can be sure there are rules and regulations in place to govern safety around oxygen. For example, there must be enough oxygen on board to allow passengers to continue to breathe comfortably until the pilots can descend below 14,000 feet; there must be at least two hours’ worth of oxygen on board for each member of the flight crew; and all commercial aircraft must be able to descend from their cruising altitude to 10,000 feet in ten minutes.

While we’re on the subject, we may as well point out that the aircraft is pressurized from the cockpit to where the tail starts to narrow, and that includes the cargo area of the aircraft, so no need to worry about your furry friends traveling in cargo below – they’re enjoying the comfort of the pressurized aircraft, too!

Asheville, N.C. – Asheville Regional Airport (AVL) is reporting the highest number of annual passengers in its 56-year history, with enplanements up 5.6% (414,606) and deplanements up 4.5% (412,042), for a total of 826,648 passengers flying in and out of the airport in 2016.  This is a five percent increase over the previous record year, set in 2015, and sustains AVL as the fourth largest commercial service airport in North Carolina.

By the numbers:

“We have experienced three consecutive years of record-breaking growth,” said Lew Bleiweis, A.A.E., AVL Executive Director.  “We have excellent air service available, provided by four airline partners, and travelers are choosing to fly from AVL.  The strong numbers are a reflection of the airlines’ success, our region’s economic strength, as well as the vibrancy of WNC as a tourism destination. I would like to personally thank our local travelers for their patronage and loyalty to our region’s airport.”

“The Greater Asheville Regional Airport Authority (GARAA) Board continues to focus on air service, infrastructure needs and development at the airport to best serve Western North Carolina,” said Bob Roberts, GARAA Board Chairman.  “And it is very positive to see continued strong utilization of our local airport.  The board will continue to stay focused on our mission to provide an exceptional airport experience.”

All four airlines at AVL – American, Allegiant, Delta and United – saw annual growth in passengers.  The largest growth in enplanements by percentage was experienced by Allegiant (12.5%) and United (8.5%), due to additional routes and increased frequencies to existing routes.  Specifically, Allegiant added less-than-daily non-stop service to three new destinations in 2016:  Jacksonville, Fla. (summer seasonal); Washington, D.C. via Baltimore/ Washington International (seasonal); and New York City via Newark Liberty International.  United increased flights and frequency of service to Chicago during peak travel times.  American and Delta both experienced growth, as well.

In response to recent growth trends, the airport is constructing a new five-story parking garage, slated for completion later this year.

“We are ready for continued growth, and look forward to a strong 2017,” said Bleiweis.  “We encourage our local travelers to continue to check AVL first for their travel needs, and we look forward to welcoming them to the airport soon.”

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The most recent economic impact study conducted by the North Carolina Department of Transportation’s Division of Aviation showed that AVL contributes more than half a billion dollars annually to the local economy, and generates more than 1,700 jobs.  This economic impact will continue to grow as the airport grows.