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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