Salisbury, MD -- January 11, 2012 Wicomico County Executive Rick Pollitt is pleased to announce that the Salisbury-Ocean City-Wicomico Regional Airport established two new records during 2011. Wicomico County based Piedmont Airlines, a wholly owned subsidiary of US Airways Group Inc., established a new all-time annual airline passenger record by flying 143,736 passengers through the airport in 2011. The previous record of 142,391 passengers was established in 1998.
The period between 2000 and 2010 was challenging with annual airline passenger activity plummeting to 105,553 passengers during 2002. Airline passenger activity remained relatively flat until 2009 with 117,829 passengers and in 2010 with 129,341 passengers. Contributing factors to the passenger increase include competitive airfares by US Airways originating out of Salisbury and the introduction of a third daily US Airways non-stop flight between Salisbury and Charlotte, NC.
“The passenger activity increases at the Salisbury-Ocean City-Wicomico Airport are certainly a positive economic indicator for the area,” said Pollitt, “And now with the addition of new service to Orlando, Florida by Allegiant Air we expect the surge of activity in our airport to continue.” Pollitt and the Wicomico County Airport Commission congratulate Wicomico County based Piedmont Airlines and their employees for establishing this new annual passenger traffic record.
In addition, Midwest Air Traffic Control Services (the FAA’s SBY Federal Contract Tower operator) recorded a new all-time annual number of 12,840 Military aircraft operations during 2011. Overall, the combined numbers of aircraft operations (air carrier, air taxi, general aviation, and military) recorded in 2011 totaled 47,675 aircraft operations. The combined numbers of 54,507 annual aircraft operations recorded in 2002 remains the airport’s record. Proximity to numerous US Air Force and Navy Air bases results in a higher volume of military aircraft operations for the airport.
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Hey Mr. Pollitt - have you ever considered charging the military and/or US Air for landing fees?
ReplyDeleteThis would help to trim Wicomico's deficit. BWI, Atlantic City, most all other major airports charge a landing fee.
Why in the world do you think they use our facility to train pilots and keep-up proficiency standards.
Because we - (Wicomico) - does not charge a landing fee.
This needs to be broadcast to all county taxpayers, we are losing a ton of money by letting US Air get away with this! Just think of the cash that they are keeping out of county coffers and improvments to our way of life. The Zoo could be in better shape, Parks, sewers, streets, we are losing towards a million dollars a year! Joe, you need to expose this travisty of lost revenue for our county!
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