Few major industries are as volatile as air travel. One of my MBA professors stated that if we began with the Wright Brothers’ first flight in 1903 and went all the way up to the present day, the operational cost of the equipment and manpower for air travel vs. the financial return from flying patrons and cargo would practically be equal. In other words, making money in the airline business is very hard.
Yet, air travel has become almost a necessity in our society, and thus, an airport is a symbol of importance to a city or region.
In our area, this goes back a century. The Williamsport Regional Airport was dedicated on July 20, 1929. An estimated 30,000 people, including the legendary female aviator Amelia Earhart, came to the dedication. She had flown to Williamsport from New York to see the airport because, at the time, it was considered one of the most modern airports in this part of the country. According to some of the local papers, this dedication was the largest event ever held in Lycoming County.
I can remember, as a young boy in the 1950s and 60s, going with my parents to the airport to watch the Little League teams disembark from all over America and the world. Those were the golden years for the airport as, at that time, three major airlines flew out of Williamsport: TWA, Capital, and Allegheny. They flew twenty-two flights daily to destinations such as Philadelphia, New York, and Harrisburg, and also had other flights to Washington, D.C., Chicago, and even Los Angeles.
In the United States, between 1955 and 1972, passenger numbers more than quadrupled. By 1972, almost half of all Americans had flown. Yet, the 1970s were, ironically, the beginning of air travel’s decline. The onset of high inflation, low economic growth, falling productivity, rising labor costs, and higher fuel costs all negatively impacted airlines. The erratic airline business is symbolized by the fact that some of the world’s largest airlines, TWA, Pan Am, Eastern Airlines, Braniff, and others, all went bankrupt.
Air travel volatility greatly impacted small airports in the United States, which were struggling to survive due to lower passenger volume. A consolidation of airlines led to fewer carriers serving small airports. To add insult to injury, there was also a shortage of pilots around this time.
Of course, these factors hammered our local airport. Yet, what probably hit the Williamsport Airport worst of all was the changes in federal regulations and funding allocations from the Essential Air Service (EAS) program, which is specifically designed to ensure that small communities retain a minimal level of scheduled air service.
As if this was not enough negative factors cascading on the Williamsport Municipal Airport, the final stake in the heart came along in the 2020s — COVID. The last airline operating at the airport, American Airlines, ended its service due to a shortage of pilots and economic considerations on September 6, 2022. This marked the end of scheduled commercial air service at the airport, which had consistently served the region for 93 years. It was a tremendous blow to the commerce of our area and thus was a major concern for the Lycoming County Commissioners and the Lycoming County/Williamsport Chamber of Commerce.
Jason Fink, President of the Lycoming County/Williamsport Chamber of Commerce, began a Homer-esque “Odyssey,” traveling everywhere, seeking to find a reputable carrier to bring air transportation back to Lycoming County. It took two years of hard work, research, and negotiations, but on May 23rd of this year, Southern Airways Express began daily commuter flights out of Williamsport. Don’t be misled by the company’s name. Southern Airways Express acts as a local service airline for dozens of cities across all U.S. time zones.
At the Lycoming County Commissioners Meeting on August 29th, Mark Cestari, Chief Commercial Officer at Southern Airways Express, outlined the progress that has been made in the four months of service at the Williamsport Regional Airport (IPT). Yes, the planes may be small, but this company might just be one of those who have figured out how to survive and thrive in the airline business in this strange new world we live in. In just eleven years of existence, Southern Airways Express has established hubs in major cities across the USA and as far as Honolulu, Hawaii.
Currently, Southern Airways Express offers ten weekly flights to Washington-Dulles Airport. Mr. Cestari noted that the company is also pleased with the launch and noted that flight reservations are strong and as many as six months out. It appears that things are finally looking up for our local municipal airport!
