On Friday, city leaders gathered at the Lynchburg Regional Airport to announce travelers in Central Virginia will soon have more options to fly out of the city. United Express is launching non-stop flights to Chicago O’Hare International Airport and Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD).
Officials say the flights will add about 100 new seats a day for travelers, giving them easier access to destinations across the country.
“That’s just great news for everybody, it’s just good news all the way around,” Curt Diemer, the City of Lynchburg Vice Mayor, told 10 News. “My major thought is this great for our universities, large business like Framatome BWXT, Centra, Delta Star because they can bring customer bases back in.”
“It’s also a huge recruitment tool,” said Margette Upshur, the Director of Economic Development and Tourism for the City of Lynchburg. “When you’re looking to bring companies to your area, the things they look at are your healthcare, the air service, the schools.”
City leaders say the expansion helps businesses compete, colleges attract students, and visitors discover Lynchburg. Everyone from local residents to the city’s mayor are excited about the new routes.
“I travel often for work, about once a month, so this makes my commute a lot easier and a lot more direct,” Lynchburg resident, Katie Adchison, told 10 News. “So, I’m ecstatic about it. Also it makes it easier for visitors to see me too so I’m excited with the holidays coming up.”
The City of Lynchburg Mayor, Larry Taylor, also spoke about his recent travel to San Diego during the announcement.
“I had to go to Charlotte to get a flight,” Taylor said. “Now I can come right in my city, walk through these gates and be in Chicago in a couple hours, and right into San Diego.”
Officials say they hope success with these flights could attract even more destinations in the future.
“We hope that when this particular airline comes in, we’re hoping that were going to get more airline services looking to come to this area,” Catherine Vance, the Assistant Director of Finance and Administration for the City of Lynchburg, told 10 News. “The popular destination from here is to Florida so we’re hoping that maybe we’ll get an alternative carrier to go to that particular area.”
Officials say flights will operate 7 days a week and travelers can already start booking their tickets, with flights set to take off in March of next year.
“It’s go big or go home and now literally we can do both,” Upshur said.