A second commercial airport for Charlotte?

[tozmervo]

Maybe they'll take the time to find a new airport code a little more intuitive than... JQF

 

Ok so I was half joking, but a biz journal reporter just tweeted that they're changing their airport code to "USA"

[southslider]

^Charlotte, USA, meet Concord, USA

[Neo]

Ok so I was half joking, but a biz journal reporter just tweeted that they're changing their airport code to "USA"

 

It WAS almost laughable that this would be true, but apparently it IS true:

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/blog/outside_the_loop/2013/08/its-now-code-usa-for-concord.html

 

[cltbwimob]

Allegiant will be adding flights to three more destinations in Florida from Concord.

http://www.independenttribune.com/news/high-flying-allegiant-adding-six-concord-flights/article_9f687ab6-06e9-11e4-af1d-001a4bcf6878.html?mode=jqm

[Urbanity]

Kind of wow - 5 days a week schedule to Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, Daytona and Palm Beach.   I got to admit I am surprised.

[videtur quam contuor]

Just from curiosity I drove up to the Concord Airport (whose runway parallels 85, and yes I am waiting for that event) one afternoon to check the place out. Even with the few flights at that time the parking was completely inadequate. Every spot was taken, cars and trucks on the grass and berms and no place to put even one more vehicle. Is there any transportation to it from anywhere. I doubt it. More flights means some other arrangement will HAVE to be made.

[Urbanity]

. More flights means some other arrangement will HAVE to be made.

Not likely outside of maybe plowing a few tress and maybe making another small parking lot, but then again I disagree it's an issue to be frank.  The airport is NOT going to be a significant commercial airport today, tomorrow, or even five years from now. 

 

It is  built/used for mainly private jets and its facilities reflect that.  A handful of small discount flights a week is not going to change the equation much.   All the same I do think it's cool that Charlotte now has technically two airports serving it with commercial flights.

 

Edit: Actually if you look back just one page you'll see the proposal and where the new terminal and parking  lot will go.

[rugger62]

Allegiant will be adding flights to three more destinations in Florida from Concord.

http://www.independenttribune.com/news/high-flying-allegiant-adding-six-concord-flights/article_9f687ab6-06e9-11e4-af1d-001a4bcf6878.html?mode=jqm

 

I wonder why there is no press release on Allegiant's site? The article is thin on details - when are they going to establish the routes? There are no Concord job postings on their careers page, so is this for real, or are they trying to gauge interest?

[cltbwimob]

Allegiant will supposedly announce new service from Concord today according to the twitterverse. Based on the route map, it looks as if St Petersburg will be the new flight.

[CLTProductions]

Here are the current destinations (and first available dates) from Concord according to the Allegiant website (all in Florida)

 

Orlando, FL - 10/03/2014

Tampa Bay, FL - 11/13/2014

[Madison Parkitect]

Allegiant will supposedly announce new service from Concord today according to the twitterverse. Based on the route map, it looks as if St Petersburg will be the new flight.

 

They're going to fly all the way to Russia from Concord? 

[Neo]

Allegiant will supposedly announce new service from Concord today according to the twitterverse. Based on the route map, it looks as if St Petersburg will be the new flight.

 

I meant to post something on this a month or so ago but I forgot. At this point I'm probably re-iterating what many may already know BUT:

 

Concord's airport is actively looking to make this a 'thing' and is looking to build a real terminal and not just work out of a warehouse like they're currently running out of. I think their plans are to make the passenger service accessible from Ivey Cline Rd but those early plans may have changed at this point...not sure. This would explain why the parking issue is an issue around the current entrance. It's likely that they don't want to spend much money making additional parking when they know it won't be used if they move passenger service to the other side of the runway.

 

This newly added flight to Tampa is just one of, I think, four additional routes that are planned by the end of the year.

 

Joking or not, I would say that Charlotte will soon have a second airport. I would imagine that Las Vegas would be added at some point in the future since that's where Allegiant is based. Imagine taking a flight from Concord to the west coast, connecting through Las Vegas. That opens up a lot of options and perhaps a little competition with CLT which I don't think would be a bad thing. Competition helps to keep everyone honest.

[cltbwimob]

They're going to fly all the way to Russia from Concord? 

 

Nyet

I meant to post something on this a month or so ago but I forgot. At this point I'm probably re-iterating what many may already know BUT:

 

Concord's airport is actively looking to make this a 'thing' and is looking to build a real terminal and not just work out of a warehouse like they're currently running out of. I think their plans are to make the passenger service accessible from Ivey Cline Rd but those early plans may have changed at this point...not sure. This would explain why the parking issue is an issue around the current entrance. It's likely that they don't want to spend much money making additional parking when they know it won't be used if they move passenger service to the other side of the runway.

 

This newly added flight to Tampa is just one of, I think, four additional routes that are planned by the end of the year.

 

Joking or not, I would say that Charlotte will soon have a second airport. I would imagine that Las Vegas would be added at some point in the future since that's where Allegiant is based. Imagine taking a flight from Concord to the west coast, connecting through Las Vegas. That opens up a lot of options and perhaps a little competition with CLT which I don't think would be a bad thing. Competition helps to keep everyone honest.

I think you are correct that this is one of several new destinations to be added in the near future. The airport is also actively courting other airlines. I imagine that list includes Spirit Airlines, and I am somewhat surprised Frontier did not choose Concord over CLT, but that could be a function of Concord's lack of facilities. It would not surprise me to see Frontier's operation moved to Concord when the terminal is built.

[kermit]

NM

[uptownliving]

This announcement means that in November Allegiant will offer 1 flight per day from Concord.

 

Allegiant makes its money not from the flying but from all the cruises and hotels it sells along with your flight. If I were Concord I would be trying to recruit a real airline that could offer you a flight to a business destination a couple times a day...that is where the real money is. Not in a weekly flight to see Micky Mouse.

 

Maybe Spirit to Detroit could be something in the future.

[cltbwimob]

While not as exciting as a grant for say, a new terminal or a new airline adding service, Concord received over $4 million in grant money to help expand it's ramp space.

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/blog/outside_the_loop/2014/10/concord-regional-airport-to-make-more-space-for.html

[cltbwimob]

Concord Regional is asking for $80 million for upgrades including $40 million for a new terminal and $3.5 million to relocate the control tower.

http://www.independenttribune.com/news/concord-airport-asks-faa-for-m-to-fuel-expansion/article_3442af76-8183-11e4-b6aa-7386a1b036e0.html?mode=jqm

[eastsider]

Allegiant airlines is adding another destination from Concord. Flights to Fort Lauderdale will begin on May 8.

 

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/tourism/fl-allegiant-more-lauderdale-routes-20150224-story.html

[ssh214]

So happy about this! Hopefully this will drive the prices down to south Florida... I wish it was JetBlue offering this service out of CLT but beggars can't be choosers. No joke right now it's cheaper for me to fly from the Los Angeles area to Miami than it is for me to fly from Charlotte to the Miami area.

 

On a side note I still am kind of annoyed that Allegiant flies out of Concord and not Charlotte... Would be cool to see another airline at CLT

[jednc]

Was just discussing Allegiant's service today at work. A coworker was talking about what a great experience it was to fly out of Concord. Parking, the terminal and of course price topped her list.

[caterpillar2]

It would be so wonderful if we could get a cheap flight to say, Manchester, U.K. or Shannon, Ire.

[AuLukey]

Apparently the service is really catching on.  I have a friend who lives in Pineville that told me she just flew to Florida.  When I went to recommend she fly out of Concord, she beat me to the punch.  She said it was a great experience compared to flying out of CLT and outrageously cheaper.

[Niner National]

I checked flights to FLL for June. $131 round trip.

 

Almost seems silly to not go once a month at those prices. 

[NcSc74]

I wonder what the range is of one of Ryanair 737's out of London Stansted. That would really throw mud in the eye of all the legacy carriers who suppress competition and keep domestic prices high. Didn't they campaign against low cost carriers from going transatlantic.

It makes no sense that I can't fly to any major city in the eastern 3 rd of the country for less than 100 dollars max just for a weekend trip. I miss Ryanair!

[caterpillar2]

I wonder what the range is of one of Ryanair 737's out of London Stansted. That would really throw mud in the eye of all the legacy carriers who suppress competition and keep domestic prices high. Didn't they campaign against low cost carriers from going transatlantic.

It makes no sense that I can't fly to any major city in the eastern 3 rd of the country for less than 100 dollars max just for a weekend trip. I miss Ryanair!

Why can't we have something like Ryan Air.  I just booked  direct, round trip flights to London  on Finnair for over $1400. and that was the cheapest. Pretty disgusting prices. Concord might be an opportunity to get in a cheaper international flight.