New jet service to Dallas coming to Yeager Airport

Passengers flying out of Yeager Airport in Charleston will soon be able to fly non-stop to Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas.

Yeager announced Wednesday that beginning this summer they will offer daily non-stop flights from Charleston to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), utilizing a 50-seat Bombardier CRJ-200 aircraft.

“We thought some day we would have a Dallas non-stop service, we didn’t think it would be this soon,” said
Yeager Airport Director of Marketing and Air Service Development Brian Belcher.

Belcher said a non-stop flight through American Airlines to Dallas provides many great opportunities for the region and the entire state of West Virginia. 

DFW has become American Airline’s largest hub and according to a news release, it also is the nation’s third busiest airport in terms of operations and eighth largest in terms of passenger boardings. 

Belcher said this additional service could help tremendously the tourism industry in the state.

“We have a lot to offer here in West Virginia with whitewater rafting, skiing , all things outdoor to do,” said Belcher. “I think when the Dallas community discovers our state, they’ll love and want to fly to it.”

The Boys Scouts of America has their headquarters in the Dallas area and Belcher adds that this will make traveling to the state easier for staff. 

“Right now they are doing it either connecting or flying to other airports and driving in so this will give them an opportunity to fly non-stop to and from Dallas,” said Belcher. 

These additional flights will also give Mountaineer fans more options when flying to Big 12 games. 

“A lot of the schools are near Dallas. TCU is right there, but even the schools that aren’t, you can fly to Dallas and connect to those other cities,” said Belcher.

Currently, only one daily flight goes to Texas out of Yeager Airport with United Airlines which goes to Houston. 

Belcher said most of the passengers on those Houston flights are involved in the oil, gas and chemical industries and now with the Dallas flight, that could mean even more business for those industries. 

The service is expected to begin June 12.