CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Up to five new flights are on their way to the state’s largest airport through their partnership with the low-cost carrier, Breeze Airways.
A number of dignitaries were on hand Tuesday at West Virginia International Yeager Airport to announce a two-year partnership with Breeze, CRW, the state of West Virginia and the West Virginia Department of Tourism, the Charleston Area Alliance, the Kanawha County Commission, and the City of Charleston to add up to five new flights through the airline over the next 24 months.
Yeager Airport Director and CEO Dominque Ranieri said they are thankful for such a collaborative effort to make this happen.
“This is incredibly exciting for West Virginia International Yeager Airport and the entire team here, this has been something that we’ve been hoping for and working on since the initial Breeze agreement and thank God for Governor Morrisey and Secretary Ruby, as well as the Charleston Area Alliance, the county commission and the mayor coming to the table,” Ranieri told MetroNews.
She said this means more direct flights for CRW passengers, but also more opportunities for people to travel to West Virginia.
Governor Patrick Morrisey was among those on hand for Tuesday’s announcement.
He said his administration has made economic development a top priority and transportation infrastructure and opportunities for expansion plays a major part in that.
“We are going to make West Virginia the top destination in the region for current businesses to expand, for new businesses to grow, and for out-of-state businesses to locate,” Morrisey said.
Within the new two-year, five flight plan agreement, the direct service flights to Tampa, Florida are returning through the airline at CRW. That flight will resume October 3 with fares starting at $49 one way.
Ranieri said the Tampa flight has been growing in popularity on both fronts.
“It’s interesting, the airline is actually seeing that as many people traveling out on that Tampa flight, people from Tampa are coming here in equal measure, which is fantastic, it’s about 50/50,” Ranieri said.
Additionally, Ranieri said CRW has expressed the desire for flights to Houston and Dallas, Texas and Las Vegas, Nevada through the agreement with Breeze as well and intend on making those their next priority to bring in to the airport over the next 24 months that agreement stands.
It has been reported that nearly 80,000 passengers have flown with Breeze to or from CRW since the inaugural flight in May 2023.
Tourism Secretary Chelsea Ruby said they have seen a tremendous amount of tourism growth in recent years and as they look to continue that growth, they must look for more markets to expand to– both on land and in the air. 
“You know, we market within about a five-hour driving distance and now we’re opening up these new flights, so it’s great for bringing in visitors, it’s great for community-building, for people who live in this area to have more access, it’s just a really great day for West Virginia,” Ruby said.
Charleston Area Alliance Chairwoman Ellen Cappellanti said this investment will expand jobs and economic development, and improve the quality of life in the years to come.
“Yes, this investment will expand air service, but just as important are the secondary benefits such as helping to attract and retain population, developing our outdoor economy, and spurring new opportunities and revitalization across the Kanawha Valley,” said Cappellanti.
Another hand in the partnership, the Kanawha County Commission, Commissioner Lance Wheeler said this initiative is beneficial in multiple ways– for visitors coming in as well as West Virginians traveling afar.
“What’s important about this is that it’s not just giving access for tourism, for people to come and visit our great state, the place that we know is the best place to stay, live, raise a family, and even vacation, but it’s also giving an opportunity for our locals here to be able to explore other areas,” he said.
Wheeler added that it also gives those West Virginia natives who may be living out of state the opportunity to come home.
Morrisey said that since Breeze launched service at CRW just over a year ago, it has helped transform the airport in remarkable ways.
He said Charleston has now doubled its non-stop destinations and passenger traffic continues to rise with more than 400,000 travelers coming through the airport last year alone.
Morrisey said it’s a partnership proving to be well worth it for everyone involved.
“I think everyone is seeing that the partnership is allowing us to cut red tape and invest in the kind of infrastructure that’s going to drive a lot of opportunities for West Virginia, and what we’re seeing here is that those efforts are paying off,” Morrisey said.
After just over a year of service at CRW, Breeze has reportedly generated an estimated $27.5 million in total economic output.
Ranieri said it will be a continuous and ongoing communication process with all parties involved moving forward.
“The Secretary of Tourism Chelsea Ruby, the airport, and all of those parties involved in this agreement will stay in constant communication about what routes make sense for our market, but those two priorities, Texas service and Las Vegas service are our top priorities,” she said.
Since launching operations at CRW in 2023, Breeze Airways already offers flights to Orlando, Florida, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and the most recent, Newark, New Jersey.