THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, January 20, 1995 TAG: 9501200479
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: STAFF REPORT
DATELINE: MANTEO LENGTH: Short : 38 lines
In an effort to plan for Dare County's future needs for air service, the North Carolina Department of Transportation and the Dare County Regional Airport Authority have mailed questionnaires to Outer Banks landlords.
``We are trying to assess, from the landlords' perspective, the relative importance of scheduled air service in Dare County,'' said Ted Alman, manager of aviation planning for NCDOT. ``We are looking to the future and how much of a significant role air transportation will play at that time.''
Dare County Airport Manager Tim Gaylord said the main focus of the survey is to determine whether a commuter airline is needed to provide service between Dare County and communities like Norfolk, Greenville, New Bern, Greensboro and other areas.
About 3,000 questionnaires were mailed to landlords as part of the study.
There have been a number of attempts at commuter service from Manteo and Duck to Norfolk. Southeast Air once provided scheduled flights to Norfolk. Now, only charter service is available.
Gaylord said the Dare County Airport runway in Manteo is similar in size to the runway at another resort community, Hilton Head, S.C.
``There are a lot of tourist dollars that are being lost,'' he said. ``If we can determine where our renters are coming from, and what the needs are, we may be able to attract a commuter air service.''
Gaylord said if it is determined that a carrier is needed, the airport authority and the Aviation Division of NCDOT would work actively to recruit an airline.
NCDOT provided most of the funding for the $1,700 survey, with the airport authority paying for postage. by CNB