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Monday, July 2, was "inaugural day" for new, non-stop air service between Asheville and New York City. Continental Express Flight 3663 touched down at 10:47AM; the first flight, from Newark International to Asheville Regional Airport, was greeted with a lot of fanfare, music, food, and airline ticket giveaways.
This new era of non-stop service between Asheville and the Big Apple is the result of a great deal of work and persistence on the part of a number of Asheville area businesses. In addition to the Asheville Regional Airport Authority, who spearheaded the effort, 63 area businesses showed their support by pledging $1.3 million worth of travel spending. This new service opens the door for a great deal of trade between the two markets. Now that travel on this route does not have to include a stop in Charlotte or Atlanta, air travel between Asheville and New York will be much shorter and less tiring. Ashevillians looking for business or pleasure pursuits in New York can now cut their travel time to two hours or less, and New Yorkers looking for a little "rest and relaxation" in our mountains, destination spas, or quaint bed and breakfasts can be here in less time than it takes to get through the Holland Tunnel at rush hour.
Of course, now comes the tricky part; in order to maintain this new level of service, it has to be supported on a regular basis. The twice-daily non-top service schedule leaves Newark at 8:45AM and arrives in Asheville at 10:47AM. An Asheville to Newark flight leaves at 11:15AM and arrives back in Newark at 12:56PM. The afternoon flight from Newark leaves at 2:55PM, arriving in Asheville at 4:57PM. The final flight of the day leaves Asheville at 5:30PM and arrives in Newark at 6:57PM.
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A marketing cooperative including Continental Airlines, AdvantageWest, the Asheville Convention and Visitors Bureau, Biltmore Estate, Biltmore Farms, The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa, Renaissance Hotel Asheville, and Sonopress placed ads in New York area publications to promote WNC tourism and the new service.
Business travelers are likely to be the most frequent flyers on this route, but pleasure-trippers will enjoy great benefits from the new service as well.