NEW NON-STOP TO BWI ON ALLEGIANT ANNOUNCED
WINGS FOR AUTISM COMING TO AVL IN FEBRUARY
IT'S AN AIR TRAVEL "DRESS REHEARSAL"
In an effort to help make air travel accessible to our friends and neighbors with autism spectrum disorders, Asheville Regional Airport in partnership with The Arc of Buncombe County and Allegiant Air is hosting a Wings for Autism® event in February.  What is Wings for Autism®?  Our guests will come to the airport to check-in for an imaginary flight - they'll get boarding passes, check in at the ticket counter, go through security, wait at the gate and then board an Allegiant plane for their "flight."  It's a learning experience, and a familiarization exercise.  Registration is full - and we can't wait to welcome our special guests to the airport!
 
FROM LEGACY TO LOW COST
HOW DIFFERENT TYPES OF AIRLINES WORK
Do you ever wonder why some airlines' tickets cost so much less than others, or why some charge more for baggage and seat selection? Every business in every industry is a little different than its competitors and airlines are no exception. Within aviation, airlines are generally grouped into three categories: legacy (or "network") airlines, low cost carriers (LCCs), and ultra low cost carriers (ULCCs). While no two airlines are exactly alike, almost all of them fall into one of these categories.

INSIDE AVL: 
AIRPORT AND TOURISM DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY COMPLETE COLLABORATIVE MARKET STUDY
 
The Greater Asheville Regional Airport Authority and the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority (BCTDA) recently completed a joint market study that examined potential air service growth opportunities.  The study focused on the local air service market, as well as potential in-bound markets, coupled with a focus on each U.S. airline and their business strategies.  The results showed that:
 
  • AVL enjoys excellent air service for a region our size.  Comparatively, AVL stands out in the nation as an airport with a healthy growth trend, competitive fares on average (compared to U.S. averages) and strong utilization. 
  • The best air service growth opportunities in the next few years involve advocating for larger planes/more seats to hubs already served by our legacy carriers (American, Delta and United), and also focusing on additional markets with Allegiant (the ultra low-cost carrier/ULCC that serves AVL).
  • Another important take-away is to continue to tell the story that western North Carolina is a leisure destination with air carriers, and build on the momentum already established with our ULCC.  The BCTDA and Convention and Visitors Bureau are experts in this area, and collaborative advocacy is important moving forward.
Longer-term strategies were also suggested, including continued advocacy for west-bound hub service, and larger-market non-stop service that could require significant community incentive packages. 
 
The availability of robust air service in our market is dependent upon the region's willingness to use AVL for their travel needs.  As always, we thank you for checking AVL first, and flying from your local airport as often as you can.

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JANUARY 2016
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