INBOUND FLIGHT MAKES EMERGENCY LANDING AT YEAGER AIRPORT

INBOUND FLIGHT MAKES EMERGENCY LANDING AT YEAGER AIRPORT

INBOUND FLIGHT MAKES EMERGENCY LANDING AT YEAGER AIRPORT

On Monday at 10:12 pm, a scheduled CRJ-200 flying from Atlanta safely landed at CRW after reporting an emergency due to pressurization issues. The flight landed safely with no passengers or crew needing or requiring medical attention.

At 10 pm, Air Traffic Control Tower (ATCT) notified the Operations Specialist of the incoming flight experiencing an emergency with pressurization. Additionally, fog inside the cabin was reported to the ATCT.

Before the plane landed, the West Virginia Air National Guard 130th Fire Department quickly responded to the runway per CRW’s airport emergency plan.

At 10:12, the aircraft landed safely and taxis to Gate B1, followed by several 130th engines. When the plane stopped, the 130th boarded the aircraft to check for passenger medical issues and reported the oxygen masks were deployed with a faint smell of smoke in the cabin. All 51 souls on board were evacuated and refused medical attention.

CRW thanks the 130th Fire Department, Charleston Fire Department, KCEAA, and Charleston Police Department for their quick response.

Please check with your airline for the most up-to-date information regarding flight status.

One of the Best Fall Locations is One Short Flight Away

One of the Best Fall Locations is One Short Flight Away

In just a matter of weeks, there will be a chill in the air while you are drinking your morning coffee, the leaves will be starting to show some color, and the waters of the Atlantic Ocean will be a little colder. So, while your favorite summer vacation spots are winding down for the year, the best fall locations are just starting to heat up.

Charlotte is just one of the major cities you can fly to from Yeager Airport in under an hour. You might be thinking to yourself, “Charlotte, for a fall trip?” The Queen City might not be the first spot on your list for best fall locations, but we are here to convince you to make the short flight down to the southern part of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Boarding a plane to one of the best fall locations

American Airlines boarding a plane at Yeager Airport to Charlotte Douglas International Airport.

A Fall Oasis of Fun

First up on the list of things we would suggest is the U.S. National Whitewater Center. Wait, what? West Virginia already has world-class whitewater rafting. Why go to North Carolina for this? Let’s look at everything you can do at the whitewater center.

  • Whitewater Rafting/Kayaking on the world’s largest manmade river.
  • Navigate a rope course over the river.
  • Jump from a 100 ft. platform.
  • Ice skating
  • Climb the world’s first deepwater solo climbing complex.
  • Bouldering, top-rope, and sport climbing on one of the largest outdoor climbing complexes on the East Coast.
  • Flatwater Kayaking
  • Mountain Biking

Just looking at the Whitewater Center’s pictures has us ready to hop on the next flight to CLT. You can buy one or two day passes to this oasis of fun, or you can purchase single activity passes. Still not convinced, let’s look at some more things to do in the Queen City.

Charlotte is one of the best fall destinations

Overlooking the Charolette Skyline, one of the best fall destinations.

A Climbing Destination

Want to bring the outdoors inside? Inner peaks climbing is a massive indoor rock-climbing park for first-time climbers and the most advanced climbers. Inner Peaks has a great video on their website that shows everything you can do and then some. We will let the video speak for itself.

Exploring Charlotte

Charlotte is jam-packed full of things to do; we could never list them in all in just one article. Here is a list of items in Charlotte that are fun but you may have forgotten about:

The list could go on with all the fantastic restaurants and nightlife in Uptown. That could be a trip all on its own. The Discovery Place is a great place to take the entire family. The little ones will be busy all day there, exploring everything from wildlife to designing forts.

So, if the Queen City has never been on your radar for one of the best fall locations, we hope this article at least piques your interest. If you want to check out more of the exciting things to do in the Charlotte area, their visitor website is easy to navigate and provides links to all the attractions, restaurants, breweries, nightlife, and more.

We hope to see you hopping on a flight to CLT soon!

Travel Numbers Bouncing Back from COVID

Travel Numbers Bouncing Back from COVID

What a difference one year makes. This time last year, most of us were still working from home, figuring out how to work TikTok, and canceling all of our vacation plans. Travel numbers at Yeager Airport were close to single digits, and no one was sure when or if this pandemic would come to an end.

How empty was CRW on Memorial Day Weekend 2020? Let’s look at the passenger numbers from 5-27 through 5-31 of last year.

  • 5/27 – 80 passengers
  • 5/28 – 90 passengers
  • 5/29 – 96 passengers
  • 5/30 – 95 passengers
  • 5/31 – 83 passengers
Travel Numbers

CRW’s 20 minute parking lot sits mostly empty in March of 2020. Only ticketed passengers were allowed in the terminal during the lockdown.

 

To give you a reference point, CRW averaged between 700 and 800 daily passenger’s pre-pandemic. One (long) year and a whole lot of vaccinations later, and the numbers for MDW 2021 were a sight for sore eyes.

  • 5/27 – 741 passengers
  • 5/28 – 824 passengers
  • 5/29 – 812 passengers
  • 5/30 – 851 passengers
  • 5/31 – 801 passengers

 

Travel Numbers are Coming Back

The passenger numbers from the holiday weekend align with what we have been seeing at CRW over the last few months. And we are expecting our passenger numbers to keep rising. Starting June 6th, American Airlines’ route from Charleston, WV to Philadelphia, PA, is returning. With that flight back in operation, all of the routes that were temporarily paused at CRW because of COVID-19 are back in operation.

 

 

Travel Numbers Bouncing Back at CRW

Low cost air carrier Spirit Airlines is helping travel numbers bounce back at Yeager Airport

Travel Numbers Bouncing Back Quicker Than Expected

There are many different answers to that question. At the beginning of the pandemic, experts predicted countries with large domestic markets would bounce back first, and the United States has one of the biggest domestic markets in the world.

Airports across the country, including CRW, have also spent tons of time and money ensuring passengers can travel safely. CRW installed UV-C filters, cleaned out every HVAC duct, had round-the-clock cleaning of high touch surfaces, just to name a few.

The heightened cleaning, along with masks and a quick vaccine rollout, has lead people back to the skies. And CRW is here for it!

Are COVID Measures Still in Place at CRW?

Although the federal mask mandate was eased, the mandate still states that face coverings must be worn in airports and airplanes. Our passengers at CRW have done an incredible job wearing masks throughout the pandemic, and for that, we thank you.

 

Travel Numbers

Spirit Gate Agent wearing her mask while checking travelers in.

Thank You

It has been a long road to get back to some normalcy. We are happy to see you and your families again at CRW. And if you are waiting for your flight and want to show us some of the TikTok dances you learned last year, we would love to see those too!