Morgantown Municipal Airport

Morgantown Municipal Airport (IATA: MGW, ICAO: KMGW, FAA LID: MGW) is three miles east of Morgantown, in Monongalia County, West Virginia.[1] It is also known as Walter L. Bill Hart Field.[1] It sees one passenger airline, subsidized by the Essential Air Service program.

Morgantown Municipal Airport

Walter L. Bill Hart Field
USGS 1988 orthophoto
Summary
Airport typePublic
OwnerCity of Morgantown
ServesMorgantown, West Virginia
Elevation AMSL1,244 ft / 379 m
Coordinates39°38′34″N 079°54′59″W
WebsiteMorgantownAirport.com
Map
MGW
MGW
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
18/36 5,199 1,585 Asphalt
Statistics (2013)
Aircraft operations36,044
Based aircraft48

Federal Aviation Administration records say the airport had 10,239 passenger boardings (enplanements) in calendar year 2012, a decrease of 4% from the 10,674 enplanements in 2011 and 12.7% from the peak enplanements of 11,727 in 2009.[2][3] The FAA's National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015 categorized it as a primary commercial service airport (more than 10,000 enplanements per year).[4]

The airport's runway cannot handle larger airplanes, but it has filed a request with the Federal Aviation Administration to lengthen the runway.[5]

Facilities

The airport covers 494 acres (200 ha) at an elevation of 1,244 feet (379 m). Its single runway, 18/36, is 5,199 by 150 feet (1,585 x 46 m).[1]

In 2009 the airport had 43,430 aircraft operations, average 118 per day: 66% general aviation, 23% air taxi, and 11% military. 51 aircraft were then based at the airport: 82% single-engine, 12% multi-engine, 4% jet, and 2% helicopter.[1]

History

The first passenger airline flights were Capital DC-3s in 1949; Lake Central replaced Capital in 1961, and successor Allegheny was replaced by Allegheny Commuter in 1979. Air Midwest flew between Morgantown and Pittsburgh until 2005.[6] Mesa Airlines also operated flights between Morgantown and Pittsburgh under the US Airways Express name from 1996 to 2005.[7][8]

RegionsAir flew as Continental Connection between Morgantown and Cleveland from 2005 to March 2007.[9][10] Colgan Air flew as US Airways Express between Morgantown and Pittsburgh from May 2007 to January 2008.[9][8] In January 2008 a $1.9 million federal grant was awarded for an access road between the airport and Interstate 68.[11] Colgan Air flew as United Express between Morgantown and Washington–Dulles beginning in January 2008.[12][13] These flights ended in May 2012.[14]

Silver Airways flew from Morgantown Municipal Airport to Clarksburg and Washington–Dulles. In June 2016, City of Morgantown employees began looking at other air carriers to replace Silver Airways because of Silver Airways' increasingly poor reliability.[15] Airport officials received proposals from five interested airlines, namely Silver Airways, Southern Airways Express, ViaAir, Boutique Air, and Corporate Flight Management.[16] Airport officials recommended that Southern Airways Express be chosen for the next Essential Air Service contract to service the airport primarily because of the air carrier's 99.2 percent completion rate, which was higher than Silver Airways' rate that had sometimes been less than 70 percent.[16]

Starting on November 30, 2016, Southern Airways Express began flights between Morgantown Municipal Airport and both Pittsburgh International Airport and Washington Dulles International Airport.[15] Pittsburgh was chosen as a destination because many people of Morgantown were used to flying out of Pittsburgh and enduring the lengthy drive, parking costs, and long lines at airport security.[17] Southern Airways Express continued previous service to Washington–Dulles for the use of business travel and international travel pertaining to West Virginia University.[17]

On July 31, 2017 Southern Airways Express ended service to Washington Dulles and began service to Baltimore–Washington International Airport.[18] Connections to many low-cost carriers were seen as a positive improvements, as was the adjacent rail station that provides access to Washington Union Station near the United States Capitol.[18] It also helped that a new airline alliance starting in September 2017 would give Morgantown residents the opportunity to fly to London with just one layover.[18]

Airlines and destinations

Passenger
AirlinesDestinationsRefs
Southern Airways Express Baltimore, Pittsburgh

Statistics
Top domestic destinations: August 2019 - July 2020[19]
Rank City Airport name & IATA code Passengers
1 Pittsburgh, PA Pittsburgh International (PIT) 2,710
2 Baltimore, MD Baltimore–Washington International (BWI) 2,460
Passenger boardings (enplanements) by year, as per the FAA[20]
Year 2009 [21] 2010 [22] 2011 [23] 2012 [24] 2013[25] 2014[26] 2015[27] 2016[28] 2017[29] 2018[30]
Enplanements 11,727 11,249 10,674 10,239 10,036 10,676 7,163 7,851 5,698 5,890
Change 010.32% 04.08% 05.11% 04.08% 01.98% 06.38% 032.91% 09.60% 027.42% 03.37%
Airline Colgan Air dba United Express Colgan Air dba United Express Colgan Air dba United Express Silver Airways dba United Express Silver Airways dba United Express Silver Airways dba United Express Silver Airways dba United Express Silver Airways dba United Express Southern Airways Express Southern Airways Express
Destination(s) Clarksburg
Washington-Dulles		 Clarksburg
Washington-Dulles		 Clarksburg
Washington-Dulles		 Clarksburg
Washington-Dulles		 Clarksburg
Washington-Dulles		 Clarksburg
Washington-Dulles		 Clarksburg
Parkersburg
Washington-Dulles		 Clarksburg
Parkersburg
Washington-Dulles		 Pittsburgh
Washington-Dulles		 Baltimore
Pittsburgh

References
  1. FAA Airport Form 5010 for MGW PDF. Federal Aviation Administration. Effective August 25, 2011.
  2. "Calendar Year 2012 Passenger Enplanements at All U.S. Airports, by State" (PDF, 189 KB). CY 2012 Passenger Boarding and All-Cargo Data. Federal Aviation Administration. October 31, 2013. Retrieved April 22, 2014.
  3. "Primary, Non-primary Commercial Service, and General Aviation Airports (by State)" (PDF, 189 KB). CY 2010 Passenger Boarding and All-Cargo Data. Federal Aviation Administration. October 4, 2011.
  4. "2011–2015 NPIAS Report, Appendix A" (PDF, 2.03 MB). 2011–2015 National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems. Federal Aviation Administration. October 4, 2010.
  5. Moniot, Stacy (November 1, 2011). "Big 12 Conference Shift Won't 'Significantly' Impact Morgantown Airport". WVNS-TV. West Virginia Media Holdings, LLC.
  6. "Morgantown council votes to switch airlines". Charleston Gazette (Charleston, West Virginia). July 21, 2005. p. P3C.
  7. Ginsberg, Jennifer (July 24, 2005). "Subsidies may save air travel to smaller cities". Charleston Gazette. p. P1D.
  8. Gray, Gary (April 30, 2007). "Commercial flights resume". The Dominion Post.
  9. Metzner, Janet L. (January 28, 2007). "Colgan Air to serve Morgantown, surrounding region". The Dominion Post (Morgantown, West Virginia).
  10. Gray, Gary (March 14, 2007). "City airport flights look grounded until May". The Dominion Post.
  11. "Local briefs". The Dominion Post. January 11, 2008.
  12. "City airport rerouting flights to D.C. on Jan. 21: Pittsburgh's out as a destination from Morgantown". The Dominion Post. December 7, 2007.
  13. Shaner, Cassie (January 22, 2008). "Now boarding: Flights to D.C.: United Express launches service from Morgantown". The Dominion Post.
  14. Smith, Vicki (March 9, 2012). "Colgan Air aims to end service at 3 W.Va. airports". Associated Press.
  15. Conley, Ben (November 29, 2016). "Airport adds new carrier". The Dominion Post Morgantown, West Virginia).
  16. Conley, Ben (June 11, 2016). "Airport officials ponder new provider". The Dominion Post (Morgantown, West Virginia).
  17. Griffith, Conor (September 22, 2016). "Airline flies into open house". The Dominion Post (Morgantown, West Virginia).
  18. "Southern Airways switches hub to BWI". The Dominion Post (Morgantown, West Virginia).
  19. "RITA - BTS - Transtats".
  20. "Passenger Boarding (Enplanement) and All-Cargo Data for U.S. Airports – Airports". www.faa.gov. Retrieved 2020-05-26.
  21. "2009 Primary, Non-primary Commercial Service, and General Aviation Airports (by State)" (PDF, 891 KB). CY 2009 Passenger Boarding and All-Cargo Data]. Federal Aviation Administration. November 23, 2010.
  22. "2010 Primary, Non-primary Commercial Service, and General Aviation Airports (by State)" (PDF, 189 KB). CY 2010 Passenger Boarding and All-Cargo Data]. Federal Aviation Administration. October 4, 2011.
  23. "2011 Enplanements at Primary, Non-primary Commercial Service, and General Aviation Airports (by State)" (PDF). CY 2011 Passenger Boarding and All-Cargo Data]. Federal Aviation Administration. October 9, 2012.
  24. "2012 Enplanements at All Airports (Primary, Non-primary Commercial Service, and General Aviation) by State and Airport" (PDF). CY 2012 Passenger Boarding and All-Cargo Data]. Federal Aviation Administration. October 31, 2013.
  25. "All Airports with CY 2013 Enplanements" (PDF). Retrieved May 25, 2020.
  26. "Calendar Year 2014 Enplanements by State" (PDF).
  27. "Calendar Year 2015 Enplanements by State" (PDF).
  28. "Calendar Year 2016 Final Revenue Enplanements at All Airports" (PDF).
  29. "Calendar Year 2017 Final Revenue Enplanements at All Airports" (PDF).
  30. "Calendar Year 2016 Final Revenue Enplanements at All Airports" (PDF).

Other sources
  • Essential Air Service documents (Docket DOT-OST-2005-20735) from the U.S. Department of Transportation:
    • Notice (March 22, 2005): of Air Midwest, Inc. of its intent to discontinue scheduled non-subsidized Essential Air Service between Morgantown, West Virginia and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, effective June 20, 2005.
    • Order 2005-4-19 (April 19, 2005): prohibiting Air Midwest, Inc., from terminating its unsubsidized, scheduled air service at Parkersburg, Morgantown and Clarksburg/Fairmont, West Virginia, beyond the end of its 90-day notice periods, and requesting proposals from carriers interested in providing replacement essential air service (EAS) at the communities, with or without subsidy.
    • Order 2005-9-8 (September 9, 2005): selecting RegionsAir, Inc. to provide subsidized essential air Service (EAS) at Parkersburg, Morgantown and Clarksburg/Fairmont, West Virginia for a two-year period and establishing a combined subsidy rate of $1,051,333 per year for service consisting of 18 nonstop round trips each week between Parkersburg and Cincinnati, and 18 round trips to Cincinnati each week over a MGW-CKB-CVG-CKB-MGW routing, with 34-seat Saab 340A aircraft.
    • Order 2007-1-16 (January 25, 2007): selecting Colgan Air, Inc. d/b/a US Airways Express to provide subsidized essential air service (EAS) at Parkersburg, Morgantown, and Clarksburg/Fairmont, West Virginia, for two years, beginning when the carrier inaugurates service. Each community will receive 19 weekly round trips to Pittsburgh with 34-passenger Saab 340 aircraft. Service from Parkersburg will be nonstop in each direction. Service from Morgantown and Clarksburg/Fairmont will be served with a Pittsburgh - Morgantown - Clarksburg - Pittsburgh or a Pittsburgh - Clarksburg - Morgantown - Pittsburgh routing. The total combined annual subsidy is $2,421,914.
    • Ninety-Day Notice (March 28, 2008): of intent of Colgan Air Inc. D/B/A United Express to terminate scheduled essential air service at Parkersburg, Morgantown and Clarksburg/Fairmont, WV, effective June 28, 2008.
    • Order 2008-5-37 (May 27, 2008): re-selecting Colgan Air, Inc. d/b/a United Express, to provide subsidized essential air service (EAS) at Morgantown and Clarksburg/Fairmont, West Virginia, at a total annual subsidy rate of $2,116,650, for the two-year period of June 1, 2008, through May 31, 2010,
    • Order 2010-6-25 (June 29, 2010): re-selecting Colgan Air, Inc. to provide essential air service (EAS) at Clarksburg/Fairmont and Morgantown, WV, for a combined annual subsidy of $2,976,438, and at Beckley, WV, for an annual subsidy of $2,313, 457, for the two-year period from August 1, 2010, through July 31, 2012. Also selecting Gulfstream International Airlines, Inc., to provide EAS at Parkersburg, WV/Marietta, OH, at an annual subsidy rate of $2,642,237, for a two-year period beginning when the carrier inaugurates full EAS through the end of the 24th month thereafter. The total annual subsidy for all four communities is $7,923,132.
    • Order 2012-4-32 (April 30, 2012): selecting Silver Airways to provide Essential Air Service (EAS) at Beckley, Clarksburg/Fairmont ("Clarksburg") and Morgantown, West Virginia, for a combined annual subsidy of $5,968,744 ($2,512,494 for Beckley; $3,456,250 for Clarksburg and Morgantown), for the two-year period beginning when the carrier begins full EAS at all three communities.
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