CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The state’s busiest airport hasn’t been this busy since 2019.
West Virginia International Yeager Airport in Charleston is reporting enplanements, the number of people flying out of CRW, have nearly reached levels the airport reported before the pandemic.
June passenger numbers were up 13.4% when compared to last year. There were nearly 179,000 passengers in June. The airport outpaced 2022 enplanement numbers from January to June by more than 24,000 passengers.
Airport Director and CEO Dominque Ranieri said this is positive news on several levels.
“Full flights are how we gauge not only how the business community is doing but how tourism is doing,” Ranieri said. “These big numbers reflect the success and the exciting things happening in both of these realms.”
Ranieri said the numbers are of great interest to the Federal Aviation Administration–it’s part of the formula that determines federal funding for the airport. The numbers are also key when talking to existing airlines at Yeager and those they are trying to recruit for additional flights.
“To get more routes and destinations and frequency we need to use what we have. These numbers show that what we have is being utilized and we can support even more,” she said.
Ranieri said the addition of Breeze Airways has helped. Breeze is offering flights from CRW to Charleston, South Carolina and Orlando, Florida. It will soon offer flights to Tampa, Florida.
“We love to see so many passengers choosing to fly CRW,” Ranieri said. “This is a testament to the growth of West Virginia tourism, our hardworking staff, and our airline partners’ confidence in CRW.”