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Newport News-Williamsburg International Airport


Merrittk92

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From the Virginian Pilot....

http://home.hamptonroads.com/stories/story...97210&ran=83845

Cheaper flights to La Guardia from Patrick Henry are giving the Norfolk airport a run for its money.

hmm that's a shame....We probably will get very little new air service with two competing airports like this IMO. The same thing is happening with Dallas right now.

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hmm that's a shame....We probably will get very little new air service with two competing airports like this IMO. The same thing is happening with Dallas right now.

I truely think we should combine the two. I think one big airport is better and move it where development is minimal. Of course it will cause some development

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Competition is far better for consumers. American simply rapes its passengers at DFW. USAirways does likewise in Charlotte. One airport might be a nice idea, but it would mean fewer choices in the end. There are also those who might not want to drive all the way to ?? or Norfolk to catch a flight. Patrick Henry might not be the biggest or most modern airport out there, but I'd bet that there are people in Gloucester who'd rather fly out of there than Norfolk (I was once one of those people). Sure a huge new airport would be nice for some. Where would you place this new airport?

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...The only big thing Norfolk should watch is if PHF starts landing international flights to London... then Norfolk will have stiff competition on an international level ([cough] although it would be nice for at least ONE of our "International Airports" to actually offer quasi-direct international flights...).

I just don't understand the overreaction I guess... since both airports are continuing strong growth, which is quite unheard of in the industry, then I don't see what the big deal is...

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...The only big thing Norfolk should watch is if PHF starts landing international flights to London... then Norfolk will have stiff competition on an international level ([cough] although it would be nice for at least ONE of our "International Airports" to actually offer quasi-direct international flights...).

I just don't understand the overreaction I guess... since both airports are continuing strong growth, which is quite unheard of in the industry, then I don't see what the big deal is...

The problem is the competition. Neither of our airports can adequately represent our area IMO. So if you have two small competiting airports, it makes it harder for an airline to decide where to go, so they end up going to a better airport. Its the same with competing downtowns in some cases. If a business is trying to relocate its headquarters to a region and they have two semi-good places to choose from, they'll probably just skip the choosing and go somewhere else. Am i crazy?? :huh:

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if the region markets itself as a whole, instead of 7 separate entities marketing themselves independently, I think not having one central downtown isn't an issue.

coupe i wouldn't hold your breath on these cities here working together. This place has a identity crisis. Richmond area is the Richmond area. HR is Norfolk, Vabeach, Newport News, Hampton.........etc. Everyone is trying to fight to be that identity of this region. This hurts us big time. :cry:

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I couldn't agree more with your point about the separate cities in the region learning to work with one another. The airport issue is really more one of geography than identity. Hampton Roads can probably support two airports- one small and one mid-sized. Even if both airports were to grow modestly, the area is large enough to support them. A third airport is unlikely. Geographiacally, one central airport wouldn't work as well as the two existing airports already do. Perhaps what is needed most is a schedule of major improvements for both airports. What I am unclear about this the physical ability of either airport to grow. Has anyone got information about restrictions (dense neighborhoods, runway length etc.) near the two airports? At first glance I might guess that Norfolk's airport might be hemmed in by Norview, but I could be wrong. Thoughts anyone?

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I couldn't agree more with your point about the separate cities in the region learning to work with one another. The airport issue is really more one of geography than identity. Hampton Roads can probably support two airports- one small and one mid-sized. Even if both airports were to grow modestly, the area is large enough to support them. A third airport is unlikely. Geographiacally, one central airport wouldn't work as well as the two existing airports already do. Perhaps what is needed most is a schedule of major improvements for both airports. What I am unclear about this the physical ability of either airport to grow. Has anyone got information about restrictions (dense neighborhoods, runway length etc.) near the two airports? At first glance I might guess that Norfolk's airport might be hemmed in by Norview, but I could be wrong. Thoughts anyone?

NIA is hemmed in by Little Creek to the east, the virginia beach line to the south, and I-64 to the west. There are only two ways for NIA to grow (as far as putting in longer runways). One option would be for them to work with virginia beach to acquire all the property up to route 13 and demo everything over there. (Not going to happen) or Tunnel 1-64, military highway, and robin hood road below and extended runway (Not cheap). It can't grow to the north because of all of the wetlands mitigation it would have to deal with.

NNWIA on the other hand, still has plenty of room to grow, if they take the steps to deal with it now. However, they are bound to the east by Newport News Park, to the west by Jefferson Avenue, (can't tunnal jefferson withouth having to get rid of walmart and sams club, not going to happen) and to the south by Kiln Creek residential development, however, there is plenty land to the north if they start to buy now and head off the development.

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This is part of the reason I think that a airport in Isle of Wight would be a better option. These locations are terrible cause they are in dense areas. This is going to hurt us years down the road. If Norfolk and Newport News could work together to build one big one and have some sort of train that comes from both areas(park and ride the train to the airport) this would help us extremely. This would also give the cities alot more land to grow too!

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This is part of the reason I think that a airport in Isle of Wight would be a better option. These locations are terrible cause they are in dense areas. This is going to hurt us years down the road. If Norfolk and Newport News could work together to build one big one and have some sort of train that comes from both areas(park and ride the train to the airport) this would help us extremely. This would also give the cities alot more land to grow too!

The Park and Ride is a really intriguing idea... and it's worked well in other cities, but IOW County just seems too far from the population center. The folks up in Gloucester, Williamsburg, and Matthews would throw a fit, along with those in Virginia Beach who lose their relatively close access to NIA. Not so say it might become neccessary when the room for growth at PHF and ORF is gone, but that will be several decades... until then, the two function fairly well.

When you think about it, a lot of major cities have multiple large airports, such as Chicago (O'Hare and Midway) and New York (Newark, La Guardia, JFK), but you're right, there's always going to be a much larger airport (O'Hare and JFK from those examples). Similarly, ORF will probably always be larger and rightfully so---it serves a much larger population base. I think in a way though they compliment eachother... at least for the time being...

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Then there's the proposal for the big Richmond-Norfolk hub in Isle of Wight County, which might come back someday. I don't want to drive that far..seems like a pain in the butt for both regions.

Can't see that happening with the expansions in both ORF and PHF. Not to mention the millions that are being poured into RIC - which is turning out to be a very good looking airport.

The two airports in HR serve us well. It keeps prices down and is convenient in a region that is geographically sprawling. It seems like the only reason a lot of people want one airport is just for the boasting factor. Not reason enough, if you ask me.

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It seems like the only reason a lot of people want one airport is just for the boasting factor. Not reason enough, if you ask me.

You obviously haven't been reading all of the posts. The boasting factor is a minute part of it. Our region will NOT get very much new air service with two SMALL airports. An airline wants to serve a busy airport, and with the competition between ours, that will not happen. Don't you think if we had one airport that served 5-10 million passengers that we would have a better chance of attracting more carriers? Airlines don't want to have to choose between two small airports, they want a SOLID airport with lots of potential and lots of passengers. So if you want crappier, although maybe cheaper air service, then stick with our current situation IMO.

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While I understand the desire for a large, central and possibly architecturally significant airport in the region, I don't see the immediate need for one. The hub and spoke system which generated the construction of many of these airports has been largely discredited. Hubs such as Raleigh-Durham and even Nashville, have been scaled down. Improving the two existing airports is a far more likely scenario- at least in the near future. Lower fares would serve the traveling public much better than expensive non-stop flights to Billings from Norfolk.

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A large airport wouldn't help businesses either. Right now, ORF is a few minutes from Downtown, Pembroke/TC, Lynnhaven, and Greenbriar. It is also closes to several industrial parks. PHF is down the road from Oyster Point/City Center and not too far from Hampton Roads Center and industrial parks in JCC. RIC is down 64 from Downtown Richmond. Isle of Wight is the middle of nowhere right now.

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Very sad indeed. My cousin was a pilot for Independence Air until some time last year. I don't think he was particularly well paid, but I am saddened to see this spunky little airline crushed under the weight of the major carriers.

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I hate to break it to ya'll Southsiders, but I keep hearing rumors from well connected toffs in Newport News (all the best rumors come from the Port Warwick circuit - referring to the community of merchants and artisans at port warwick who mix up with Bobby Freeman's crowd and often play host to the high-up city people) that the ongoing expansions at Patrick Henry Field (the new observation tower, the expanded tarmac, the new concourse, new parking lots/decks, among other things...) is being meant to accomodate another airline. This has been a recent rumor for quite some time, but a friend of mine at Coastal Wine Connection swears that he had a talk with the Chair of the Peninsula Airport Commission (presumably Aubrey Fitzgerald) and that he seems to be convinced that direct flights from PHF to London are coming.

The new move by Wolsely make the idea of such flights rather rational, and the exponential urbanization of the city make it even more sensible. Whether or not it transpires, time will tell, but now is a very exciting time to be from Newport News.

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I hate to break it to ya'll Southsiders, but I keep hearing rumors from well connected toffs in Newport News (all the best rumors come from the Port Warwick circuit - referring to the community of merchants and artisans at port warwick who mix up with Bobby Freeman's crowd and often play host to the high-up city people) that the ongoing expansions at Patrick Henry Field (the new observation tower, the expanded tarmac, the new concourse, new parking lots/decks, among other things...) is being meant to accomodate another airline. This has been a recent rumor for quite some time, but a friend of mine at Coastal Wine Connection swears that he had a talk with the Chair of the Peninsula Airport Commission (presumably Aubrey Fitzgerald) and that he seems to be convinced that direct flights from PHF to London are coming.

The new move by Wolsely make the idea of such flights rather rational, and the exponential urbanization of the city make it even more sensible. Whether or not it transpires, time will tell, but now is a very exciting time to be from Newport News.

Well I hope it goes through. I look at it more as direct flights from HR to London because it benefits our entire region (no matter which airport it originates from). That direct connect will help spawn business to the southside as well as the peninsula, it's a good deal all around. :thumbsup:

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won't that be a temporary connection because of 2007?

Could be but I doubt it. I have a hard time seeing them investing millions in a pemanent expansion for a one time event. I'm pretty sure they have future plans for that beyond '07. HR is far more international that many think. With 90% of the worlds port traffic passing through HR it only makes sense that there would be demand for international companies to have more direct access instead of executives having to fly somewhere else, then travel here to do business.

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