ViaAir
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| Founded | 2014 | ||||||
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| Operating bases | |||||||
| Fleet size | 11 | ||||||
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| Company slogan | Above and Beyond | ||||||
| Headquarters | Maitland, Florida | ||||||
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| Website | www.flyviaair.com | ||||||
ViaAir is an airline which offers scheduled Essential Air Service from Raleigh County Memorial Airport in Beckley, West Virginia to Charlotte Douglas International Airport in Charlotte, North Carolina. Service operates seven days per week with two round trips taking place Mondays through Fridays, and one round trip taking place Saturdays and Sundays. After a successful trial from mid-December 2014 through mid-January 2015, ViaAir began offering regular scheduled service to Northeast Florida Regional Airport in St. Augustine, FL on February 26. The regular scheduled service to St. Augustine will continue through the end of the 2015.
History
ViaAir's flight service is operated by Charter Air Transport d.b.a. Via Airlines. The Charter Air Transport fleet has been in service since 1997 operating public and private charter flights for corporations, sports teams, casinos, and air travel functions before expanding to scheduled flight service with ViaAir, giving the company more than fifteen years of continued flight service experience.[1]
ViaAir began their EAS scheduled flights in December 2014, with the inaugural flight taking place on December 3. Prior to ViaAir taking over the route, it was flown by United Express.[2]
The same day as the inaugural Beckley flight, ViaAir announced it would be operating seasonal unsubsidized nonstop service from Charlotte Douglas International Airport to Northeast Florida Regional Airport in St. Augustine, FL, with its inaugural flight taking place on December 19, 2014.[3] In addition to flying to Charlotte, ViaAir offered seasonal direct flights to Beckley, WV from St. Augustine, stopping in Charlotte en route.
After the success of the seasonal trial route, an agreement was reached to continue service to St. Augustine from Charlotte and Beckley. Continued service is scheduled to begin February 13 through the 23rd for various days. Regular service to and from St. Augustine will then be offered on Thursdays and Sundays beginning February 26 through the end of 2015.[4]
ViaAir, with flights operated by the Charter Air Transport fleet, offers additional air travel options with its AirCruise and Air Tours products, originally known as Mauiva AirCruise and Air Tours. ViaAir's Mauiva products began in 2009 with its Air Tours, and introduced AirCruise in 2011. ViaAir's Air Tours offer packages for plane aerial tours over the Orlando attractions and vicinity, as well as a package to fly the plane.[5] AirCruise introduced a concept similar to naval cruises, but which transports passengers by plane instead of by boat.[6] While naval cruising is limited to ports, AirCruise is able to reach landlocked destinations.
On May 9, 2015, ViaAir will begin scheduled service between Republic Airport on Long Island and Niagara Falls International Airport, one of its popular AirCruise destinations.
In June 2015, Caesars Entertainment Corporation announced a three year agreement with Sun Country Airlines and Via Airlines to serve as the main operating partners for its Total Rewards Air service. The two airlines would service more than 100 origin cities to Caesars' properties across the United States.[7]
With an announcement made on July 14, 2015, ViaAir began a trial of flight service to Myrtle Beach International Airport in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina from both Charlotte Douglas International Airport in Charlotte, NC and Raleigh County Memorial Airport in Beckley, WV. The trial will run from July 31, 2015 to August 21, 2015.[8]
Charter Air Transport d.b.a Via Airlines has maintained a 98% dispatch rate, meaning consistent on-time flights for the fleet. The company earned an ARG/US Gold rating and continues to maintain its reliability dispatch rate.[9]
Destinations
Regular scheduled flights are operated from Beckley to Charlotte seven days each week, while flights to St. Augustine only operate on Thursdays and Sundays.
| State | City | Airport served | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
 West Virginia | Beckley | Raleigh County Memorial Airport | EAS Service to CLT |
 North Carolina | Charlotte | Charlotte Douglas International Airport | |
 New York | Farmingdale | Republic Airport | Seasonal Service |
| New York | Niagara Falls | Niagara Falls International Airport | Seasonal Service |
 Florida | St. Augustine | Northeast Florida Regional Airport | Service on Thursdays and Sundays |
 South Carolina | Myrtle Beach | Myrtle Beach International Airport | Seasonal Service on Mondays and Fridays |
Fleet
All aircraft used for ViaAir flights are operated by their subsidiary, Charter Air Transport d.b.a Via Airlines.
| Aircraft | In Fleet | Orders | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia | 4 | 0 | |
| Embraer ERJ 145EP/LR | 6 | 3 | |
| Cessna Citation 560XL | 1 | 0 |
References
- ↑ "Charter Air Transport About the Company".
- ↑ "ViaAir takes off from Raleigh Memorial". The Register-Herald. Retrieved 22 January 2015.
- ↑ "First ViaAir Flight Lands in St. Augustine". The St. Augustine Record. Retrieved 22 January 2015.
- ↑ "ViaAir Says it Will Continue its Service Between St. Augustine and Charlotte Through 2015". http://staugustine.com/news/local-news/2015-01-23/viaair-says-it-will-continue-its-service-between-st-augustine-and#.VMjlN2jF_uM. The St. Augustine Record. External link in
|website=(help); - ↑ "ViaAir Tours".
- ↑ "Mauiva AirCruise".
- ↑ Caesars Entertainment Expands Total Rewards Air, Signs Three Year Deal with Sun Country and Via Airlines, press release dated June 4, 2015
- ↑ "ViaAir is Going to Myrtle Beach". Retrieved 14 August 2015.
- ↑ "About ViaAir".