Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport is in the

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...

of Weyers Cave, Virginia, United States, west of the Town of

Grottoes Grottoes may refer to: *The plural form of Grotto (disambiguation) * Grottoes, Virginia, a town named for the nearby cave system Grand Caverns {{Disambig ...

and northeast of the City 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 except for commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation services for other ...

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, maintain commercial service. Its aim is ...

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 a Federal government of the United States, U.S. federal government agency within the United States Department of Transportation, U.S. Department of Transportation that regulates civil aviation in t ...

records say the airport had 7,746 passenger boardings (enplanements) in

calendar year A calendar year begins on the New Year's Day of the given calendar system and ends on the day before the following New Year's Day, and thus consists of a whole number of days. The Gregorian calendar year, which is in use as civil calendar in ...

2008, 8,364 in 2009 and 10,408 in 2010. The

National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems (NPIAS) is an inventory of U.S. aviation infrastructure assets. With the Airport and Airway Improvement Act of September 3, 1982, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) was required to develop a ...

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

acre The acre ( ) is a Unit of measurement, unit of land area used in the Imperial units, British imperial and the United States customary units#Area, United States customary systems. It is traditionally defined as the area of one Chain (unit), ch ...

s (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 2021 the airport had 37,204 aircraft operations, average 102 per day: 95%

, 4% commercial, and <1% military. 64 aircraft were then based at this airport: 49 single-engine, 12 multi-engine, 2 jet, and 1 helicopter.

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'' (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 Wicomico County, Maryland, near the Salisbury, Maryland, city of Salisbury. The airline is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the American ...

DC-3 The Douglas DC-3 is a propeller-driven airliner manufactured by the 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 ...

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". '' Daily News-Record'' (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". '' Daily News-Record'' (Harrisonburg, Virginia). February 12, 1996. A regional visitor information center was added to the airport in 1996. The

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. Free bus service between the airport and Harrisonburg, Staunton, and Waynesboro began in March 2004."SVRA Kicks Off Free Airport Shuttle Service". '' Daily News-Record'' (Harrisonburg, Virginia). March 3, 2004. Bus stops included

James Madison University James Madison University (JMU, Madison, or James Madison) is a public university, public research university in Harrisonburg, Virginia, United States. Founded in 1908, the institution was renamed in 1938 in honor of the fourth president of the ...

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 is known for its Center f ...

, and a

Courtyard by Marriott Courtyard by Marriott is an American brand of hotels owned by Marriott International. One of Marriott's High-priced brands with 5 star hotels, the hotels are primarily targeted to business travelers, but also accommodate traveling families. As o ...

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 The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 or ADA () is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination based on disability. It affords similar protections against discrimination to Americans with disabilities as the Civil Rights Act of 1964, ...

, and replace its 50-year-old 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 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 —originally Greater Pittsburgh Airport and later Greater Pittsburgh International Airport—is a civil-military international airport in Findlay Township and Moon Township, Pennsylvania, United States. Abou ...

from July 1996 to June 2000.

United Express United Express is a regional airline network that supports United Airlines operations, primarily by serving smaller cities and connecting traffic to United's main hubs. Representing six percent of United's total capacity for 2024, United Express ...

began service between Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport and

Washington Dulles International Airport Washington Dulles International Airport ( ) – commonly known by its former name of Dulles International Airport, by its airport code of IAD, or simply as Dulles Airport – is an international airport in the Eastern United States, located w ...

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

Air Midwest Air Midwest, Inc., was a Federal Aviation Administration Part 121 certificated air carrier that operated under air carrier certificate number AMWA510A issued on May 15, 1965. It was headquartered in Wichita, Kansas, Wichita, Kansas, United Sta ...

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 Colgan Air was a regional airline in the United States that operated from 1965 until 2012, when it became a subsidiary of Pinnacle Airlines Corp. The initial headquarters of Colgan Air was in Manassas, Virginia, Manassas, Virginia until 2010, and ...

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 was a major airline in the United States. It was originally founded in History of aviation in Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh as a mail delivery airline called All American Aviation, which soon became a commercial passenger airline. In 1953, it ...

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 from 1993 to 2019. A Republican Party (United States), Republican, he was ...

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 was a regional airline in the United States with its headquarters in Hollywood, Florida, near Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Fort Lauderdale. It was founded in 2011 with assets from the former Gulfstream International Airlines, and la ...

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 Frontier Airlines, Inc. is a major American ultra low-cost airline headquartered in Denver, Colorado. It operates flights to over 120 destinations in the United States, Caribbean, Mexico and Central America, and employs more than 5,000 staff. ...

began service between Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport and

Orlando International Airport Orlando International Airport is the primary international airport located southeast of downtown Orlando, Florida. In 2024, it had 57,211,628 passengers, making it the busiest airport in the state and ninth busiest airport in the United St ...

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

Orlando Sanford International Airport Orlando Sanford International Airport is a commercial, public use airport 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, ...

. In November 2017, it was announced that the EAS routes served by ViaAir would cease and

SkyWest SkyWest Airlines is an American regional airline headquartered in St. George, Utah. SkyWest operates and maintains aircraft used on flights that are scheduled, marketed and sold by four partner mainline airlines. The company is contracted by ...

, 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 an independent regional airline headquartered at Smyrna Airport in Smyrna, Tennessee, United States. Contour Airlines is set up as a public charter operator for regulatory purposes and does not directly operate aircraft. Co ...

to Charlotte.

Accidents and incidents

*On September 23, 1985, Henson Airlines Flight 1517 was on approach to the airport when it crashed due to

pilot error In aviation, pilot error generally refers to an action or decision made by a Aircraft pilot#Airline, pilot that is a substantial contributing factor leading to an Aviation accidents and incidents, aviation accident. It also includes a pilot ...

leading to a

CFIT In aviation, a controlled flight into terrain (CFIT; usually ) is an accident in which an airworthy aircraft, fully under pilot control, is unintentionally flown into the ground, a body of water or other obstacle. In a typical CFIT scenario, th ...

. All 14 people on board the flight died.

Airline and destination

Passenger

Annual Traffic

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 a ...

: *
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), founded as the Geological Survey, is an government agency, agency of the United States Department of the Interior, U.S. Department of the Interior whose work spans the disciplines of biology, geograp ...

The National Map ''The National Map'' is a Collaboration, 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 eff ...

'' * {{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