Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport is in

Weyers Cave, Virginia Weyers Cave ( ) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Augusta County, Virginia, Augusta County, Virginia, United States. The population was 2,473 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Staunton, Virginia, Staunton–Waynesboro, Virginia, Waynes ...

, United States, northeast of Staunton. It is used for

general aviation General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations with the exception of commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation services ...

and is served by one airline, subsidized by the

Essential Air Service Essential Air Service (EAS) is a U.S. government program enacted to guarantee that small communities in the United States, which had been served by certificated airlines prior to deregulation in 1978, maintained commercial service. Its aim is t ...

program. The airport is operated by the Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport Commission, with members from the cities of Staunton, Waynesboro and Harrisonburg, and the counties of Augusta and Rockingham.

Federal Aviation Administration The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the country as well as over surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic ...

records say the airport had 7,746 passenger boardings (enplanements) in calendar year 2008, 8,364 in 2009 and 10,408 in 2010. The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015 categorized it as a ''non-primary commercial service'' airport based on enplanements in 2008/2009 (between 2,500 and 10,000 per year).

Facilities

The airport covers 433 acres (175 ha) at an elevation of 1,201 feet (366 m). Its single runway, 5/23, is 6,002 by 150 feet (1,829 x 46 m) asphalt. In 2010 the airport had 18,223 aircraft operations, average 49 per day: 85%

, 14%

air taxi An air taxi is a small commercial aircraft that makes short flights on demand. In 2001 air taxi operations were promoted in the United States by a NASA and aerospace industry study on the potential Small Aircraft Transportation System (SATS) ...

, and 2% military. 67 aircraft were then based at this airport: 60% single-engine, 25% multi-engine, 8% jet, 5% helicopter, and 3%

ultralight Ultralight aviation (called microlight aviation in some countries) is the flying of lightweight, 1- or 2-seat fixed-wing aircraft. Some countries differentiate between weight-shift control and conventional three-axis control aircraft with aile ...

History

Early history

Rockingham and Augusta counties and the cities of Harrisonburg, Waynesboro and Staunton formed a commission to build a regional airport in the 1950s.Wright, Dan. "Five Decades After First Flight, Airport Came to Valley". ''

Daily News-Record The ''Daily News-Record'' is a daily newspaper published in Harrisonburg, Virginia. It serves the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia and West Virginia. History 19th century The earliest predecessor Daily News-Record was the Rockingham Weekly Registe ...

'' (Harrisonburg, Virginia). December 17, 2003. Construction was completed in 1958; the 4000-foot runway was extended to after a few years, and to by 1970.

Piedmont Airlines Piedmont Airlines, Inc. is an American regional airline headquartered at the Salisbury Regional Airport in unincorporated Wicomico County, Maryland, near the city of Salisbury. The airline is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the American Airline ...

DC-3 The Douglas DC-3 is a propeller-driven airliner manufactured by Douglas Aircraft Company, which had a lasting effect on the airline industry in the 1930s to 1940s and World War II. It was developed as a larger, improved 14-bed sleeper version ...

s arrived in 1960; the last Piedmont YS-11 left in 1981.

Additions and renovations

In 1991 a $900,000 renovation project was completed.Churn, Virginia. "Rising Demand: Terminals' Designer Busy Regional Airports Are a Specialty: One Opens Today". ''Richmond Times-Dispatch'' (Richmond, Virginia). November 15, 1992. The commuter terminal was enlarged by and lounge space, secure areas, and concession areas were added. In 1993 Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport Commission closed its 25-year-old aircraft maintenance shop because it was barely breaking even."Airport Gives Up Repairs Aviation Company to Operate Shop". ''

'' (Harrisonburg, Virginia). May 20, 1993. The Commission decided that a private company, Classic Aviation Services Inc., would provide aircraft maintenance services at the airport. In 1996 the airport completed a $2 million project to enlarge public-use areas of the terminal, add an observation area, expand the apron, and add new hangars.Kushner, Cathy. "Expansion of general aviation terminal at Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport is nearing completion". ''

'' (Harrisonburg, Virginia). February 12, 1996. A regional visitor information center was added to the airport in 1996.

Transportation Security Administration The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that has authority over the security of transportation systems within, and connecting to the United States. It was created ...

took over security screening at the airport in August 2002. In September 2003 the airport was awarded a $100,000 federal grant to add on-demand ground transportation within Rockingham County and

Augusta County Augusta County is a county in the Shenandoah Valley on the western edge of the Commonwealth of Virginia. The second-largest county of Virginia by total area, it completely surrounds the independent cities of Staunton and Waynesboro. Its count ...

. Free bus service between the airport and Harrisonburg, Staunton, and Waynesboro began in March 2004."SVRA Kicks Off Free Airport Shuttle Service". ''

'' (Harrisonburg, Virginia). March 3, 2004. Bus stops included

James Madison University James Madison University (JMU, Madison, or James Madison) is a public research university in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Founded in 1908 as the State Normal and Industrial School for Women at Harrisonburg, the institution was renamed Madison Coll ...

Eastern Mennonite University Eastern Mennonite University (EMU) is a private Mennonite university in Harrisonburg, Virginia. The university also operates a satellite campus in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, which primarily caters to working adults. EMU's bachelor-degree holde ...

, and a

Courtyard by Marriott Courtyard by Marriott is a brand of hotels owned by Marriott International. One of Marriott's mid-priced brands, the hotels are primarily targeted to business travelers, but also accommodate traveling families. Rooms have desks, couches, and fre ...

in Harrisonburg. The airport was awarded a $4.6 million federal grant to repair its runways in May 2004. A $2.9 million federal grant to repair the airport's taxiway was awarded in July 2005. The airport repaired its transient aircraft aprons with a $1.2 million federal grant in 2009. The airport completed a $2 million project to add seating and lobby space for passengers, add space for security inspectors, add modern restrooms compliant with the Americans With Disabilities Act, replace its 50-year-old new mechanical and utility systems. The airport received a $1.6 million federal grant to buy two snow removal vehicles and an airport fire-rescue vehicle in August 2016.

Airline service

Chatauqua Airlines Chautauqua Airlines, Inc. was an American regional airline and a subsidiary of Republic Airways Holdings based in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. Prior to the shut down of operations, it operated scheduled passenger services to 52 airports ...

ran

US Airways Express US Airways Express was the brand name for the regional affiliate of US Airways, under which a number of individually owned commuter air carriers and regional airlines operate short and medium haul routes. This code sharing service was previously ...

' connector service between Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport and

Pittsburgh International Airport Pittsburgh International Airport , formerly Greater Pittsburgh International Airport, is a civil–military international airport in Findlay Township and Moon Township, Pennsylvania. Located about 10 miles (15 km) west of downtown Pitts ...

from July 1996 to June 2000.

United Express United Express is the brand name for the regional branch of United Airlines, under which six individually owned regional airlines operate short- and medium-haul feeder flights. On October 1, 2010, UAL Corporation and Continental Airlines merged t ...

began service between Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport and

Washington Dulles International Airport Washington Dulles International Airport , typically referred to as Dulles International Airport, Dulles Airport, Washington Dulles, or simply Dulles ( ), is an international airport in the Eastern United States, located in Loudoun County and Fa ...

in April 2000. United Express service at the airport ended in December 2001. Air Midwest offered

' connector service between Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport and Pittsburgh International Airport in June 2000. Its service ended in April 2003.Bradshaw, Vic. "Colgan Air Lands In The Valley". ''Daily News-Record'' (Harrisonburg, Virginia). March 5, 2003. Colgan Air began offering US Airways Express' connector service between Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport and Pittsburgh International Airport in April 2003, when the airport became eligible for federal subsidies under the

program. The service to Pittsburgh ended in July 2004 when

US Airways US Airways (formerly USAir) was a major United States airline that operated from 1937 until its merger with American Airlines in 2015. It was originally founded in Pittsburgh as a mail delivery airline called All American Aviation, which soon ...

downgraded Pittsburgh's status from a hub to a

focus city An airline hub or hub airport is an airport used by one or more airlines to concentrate passenger traffic and flight operations. Hubs serve as transfer (or stop-over) points to help get passengers to their final destination. It is part of the ...

.Wright, Dan. "Valley Airport To Add Service To Dulles". ''Daily News-Record'' (Harrisonburg, Virginia). February 12, 2005. US Airways Express restarted service between Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport and Washington Dulles International Airport in April 2005. Colgan Air started offering service between Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport and Washington Dulles International Airport in February 2008. In 2011 Roanoke's representative to

Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...

Bob Goodlatte Robert William Goodlatte (; born September 22, 1952) is an American politician, attorney, and lobbyist who served in the United States House of Representatives representing for 13 terms. A Republican, he was also the Chair of the House Judiciar ...

advocated ending a federal subsidy program called

that made it financially viable for private airlines to offer service to small airports such as Shenandoah Valley."Up In The Air: Weyers Cave Airport's Fate Hinges On Future Of Endangered Subsidy Program]". ''Daily News-Record'' (Harrisonburg, Virginia). August 6, 2011. In 2012 Colgan Air ended service to Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport after the carrier's parent company declared bankruptcy in 2012.Manners, Doug. "Unhappy Landing For SVRA Carrier". ''Daily News-Record'' (Harrisonburg, Virginia). April 4, 2012. The service was replaced by

Silver Airways Silver Airways LLC. is a United States regional airline with its headquarters in Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport in Broward County, Florida, near Fort Lauderdale. It was founded in 2011 with assets from the former Gulfstream ...

in July 2012. Silver Airways' service to the airport ended in November 2016.Brown, Tony. "Now Boarding: Service To Florida". ''Daily News-Record'' (Harrisonburg, Virginia). December 11, 2016. Frontier Airlines began service between Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport and Orlando International Airport in November 2012. The service was canceled in April 2013."Frontier to drop Orlando-Shenandoah Valley service". ''Associated Press''. February 3, 2013. ViaAir began flights between Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport and

Charlotte-Douglas International Airport Charlotte Douglas International Airport (IATA: CLT, ICAO: KCLT, FAA LID: CLT), typically referred to as Charlotte Douglas, Douglas Airport, or simply CLT, is an international airport in Charlotte, North Carolina, located roughly six miles wes ...

in September 2016. ViaAir also began flights from Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport to

Orlando Sanford International Airport Orlando Sanford International Airport is in Sanford, Florida, United States, near Orlando. It was built as Naval Air Station Sanford, a Master Jet Base for carrier-based attack and reconnaissance aircraft, and was used by the U.S. Navy until ...

. In November 2017, it was announced that the EAS routes served by ViaAir would cease and SkyWest, operated as United Express, service would replace ViaAir beginning on April 1, 2018. SkyWest ended service in November 2022. Service is currently operated by

Contour Airlines Contour Airlines is a regional airline headquartered at Smyrna Airport in Smyrna, Tennessee, United States. All Contour Airlines flights are public charters sold and operated by parent company Contour Aviation as a direct carrier. History Cont ...

to Charlotte.

Accidents and incidents

*On September 23rd, 1985,

Henson Airlines Flight 1517 On September 23, 1985, Henson Airlines Flight 1517 crashed in Grottoes, Virginia, while on approach to the Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport. The two pilots and twelve passengers were killed. Accident details Henson Airlines Flight 1517 was ...

was on approach to the airport when it crashed due to

pilot error Pilot error generally refers to an accident in which an action or decision made by the pilot was the cause or a contributing factor that led to the accident, but also includes the pilot's failure to make a correct decision or take proper a ...

leading to a CFIT. All 14 people on board the flight died.

Airline and destinations

Passenger

References

Bibliography

* Essential Air Service documents
Docket OST-2002-11378
from the

U.S. Department of Transportation The United States Department of Transportation (USDOT or DOT) is one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government. It is headed by the secretary of transportation, who reports directly to the President of the United States and ...

: *
Order 2003-1-14 (January 17, 2003)
selecting Colgan Air, Inc., d/b/a US Airways Express, to provide essential air service at Staunton, Virginia at a subsidy rates of $623,667 for the first year, with an extension for a second year subject to the mutual agreement of the carrier and the Department, and (b) establishing a subsidy rate of $514,211 annually for the hold-in service being operated ay Staunton by Air Midwest, Inc., d/b/a US Airways Express, from April 23, 2002, until Colgan begins service. *
Order 2004-2-8 (February 9, 2004)
selects Colgan Air, Inc., d/b/a US Airways Express, to provide essential air service at Staunton, Virginia, for an additional one-year period beginning May 1, 2004, at a subsidy rate of $615,578. *
Order 2005-1-2 (January 7, 2005)
selecting Colgan Air, Inc., d/b/a/ US Airways Express, to provide essential air service at Staunton, Virginia, for the two-year period beginning May 1, 2005 and establishing final subsidy rate. *
Order 2007-1-17 (January 26, 2007)
selecting Colgan Air, Inc., d/b/a US Airways Express, to provide essential air service at Staunton, Virginia, for the two-year period beginning May 1, 2007, at an annual subsidy rate of $1,389,727. *
Order 2008-12-29 (December 30, 2008)
re-selecting Colgan Air, Inc., d/b/a United Express, to provide subsidized essential air service (EAS) at Staunton, Virginia, for the two-year period beginning May 1, 2009, at the annual subsidy rate of $1,911,466. *
Order 2011-3-2 (March 1, 2011)
selecting Colgan Air, Inc. to provide essential air service (EAS) at Staunton, Virginia, for an annual subsidy of $2,180,461, for the two-year period from May 1, 2011, through April 30, 2013. *
Ninety-Day Notice (March 8, 2012)
from Colgan Airlines, Inc. of termination of Essential Air Service at Staunton, Virginia. *
Order 2012-3-14 (March 23, 2012)
prohibits Colgan Airlines, Inc. d/b/a United Airlines Express, from terminating service at Altoona and Johnstown, PA; Victoria, TX; Staunton, VA; and Beckley, Clarksburg/Fairmont, and Morgantown, WV, for 30 days beyond the end of the 90-day notice period, i.e. July 8, 2012. Also requesting proposals by April 25, 2012, from air carriers interested in providing replacement Essential Air Service (EAS) at Victoria, TX; and Staunton, VA, for a new term, with or without subsidy.

External links

* *
Aerial image as of March 1989
from

USGS The United States Geological Survey (USGS), formerly simply known as the Geological Survey, is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, a ...

The National Map ''The National Map'' is a collaborative effort of the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and other federal, state, and local agencies to improve and deliver topographic information for the United States. The purpose of the effort is to pro ...

'' * {{authority control Airports in Virginia Essential Air Service Buildings and structures in Augusta County, Virginia Transportation in Augusta County, Virginia Year of establishment missing Airports established in 1958 1958 establishments in Virginia