The Salisbury Ocean City Wicomico Regional Airport continued to make strides to bring another airline to the region thanks to funds approved by the Wicomico County Council last Tuesday.
The resolution, approved almost unanimously aside from one nay vote from District 5 County Councilperson Joe Holloway, moved $50,000 from the Contingency Account to a new account labeled “Contingency Airport” forWicomico County’s pledge to support a Small Community Air Service Development Grant designed to incentivize an unnamed airline to start service at the airport. That comes on the heels of Worcester County commissioners, also on the same day, pledging the amount to bolster and expand use of the regional airport.
"We've been meeting with airlines and discussing the data we've gathered on where people are traveling and where we are losing passengers to other airports," said Tony Rudy, the airport manager, during the meeting. "That's mainly to BWI in Baltimore with some to Philadelphia and surrounding Washington, DC airports. We lose about 85% of our travel to other airports and we're trying to capture that back. That includes looking where our top markets are."
According to Rudy, service to Florida and locations like Orlando are a key feature to the public.
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He also noted many carriers have started to return to pre-covid levels of expansion with reinvestment into newer, more efficient planes that can pass the savings onto customers. While Rudy speculated it would only lead to a handful of new jobs, it could mean additional contract opportunities for employees of their current tenant, Piedmont Airlines.
Support for the grant still had its detractors that noted the county has already pledged over $600,000 to ensuring a bright economic outlook for the airport
"If you want to do something for economic development, you find an airline that brings people to the county that want to do business, not flying people out to Florida. If you want to invest money into the (airport), I think you do it that way," Holloway said.
Despite the objections, Rudy said airport management has already been speaking with an airline that remained nameless since there is still no agreement in place. He characterized the process as "very competitive for the same service," leading to the regional airport offering a new carrier route incentive program.
Additionally, the airport will waive landing fees and rents for terminal space for two years. Marketing and advertising efforts are already underway to attract airlines to use these programs.
Rudy also updated the council that funding plans for runway expansion continue with the Maryland Board of Public Works placing it on the July 17 agenda.
The airport is still collecting passenger facility charges amid these abatements, although a current or projected sum was not stated during the council meeting.
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"When we come before this council and support something like this, it's about economic development," said Mike Dunn, President and CEO of the Greater Salisbury Commission. "We've got an airport that gives us a regional economic development opportunity. Our friends at Piedmont are very important to us and we've had conversation with their management, and they don't oppose this. They understand there's additional room for another carrier."
Dunn cited the growth in the area, namely Sussex County in Delaware, as impetus to support plans to make air travel from the airport indispensable.
Why did Allegiant Airlines leave?
Previous efforts to add airlines to the regional airport have yielded only mixed results at best with past carriers like Allegiant stopping service from the location.
"There's various reasons why Allegiant Airlines failed to stay with the airport, but we're learning from our mistakes," said County Executive Julie Giordano. "I think it had to do with factors on their part as well. But just because it didn't work in the past doesn't mean it won't work in the future. We have the right people in place, and we have the right support. Never have we had that regional support, so we're really excited about that."
Rudy cited that prior to the airline's decision to cut service from the airport, Allegiant was only flying at 80% capacity, making the decision to invest in larger planes questionable. Furthermore, the fleet used at the time was subject to a number of maintenance concerns.
"We're more than happy to give the pledge the $50,000 as a county like Worcester County did. We're excited to show this is a regional airport and a regional project and it shows how beneficial this additional airline is going to be," Giordano said.
Currently, airport management has secured an estimated $205,000 to apply for the grant.
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