Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport

Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport is in the census-designated place of Weyers Cave, Virginia, United States, 5 mi west of the Town of Grottoes and 12 mi northeast of the City of Staunton. It is used for general aviation and is served by one airline, subsidized by the Essential Air Service 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 records say the airport had 7,746 passenger boardings (enplanements) in calendar year 2008, 8,364 in 2009 and 10,408 in 2010. The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems 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 acres (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% general aviation, 4% commercial, and <1% military. 64 aircraft were then based at this airport: 49 single-engine, 12 multi-engine, 2 jet, and 1 helicopter.

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. Construction was completed in 1958; the 4000-foot runway was extended to 5000 ft after a few years, and to 6000 ft by 1970. Piedmont Airlines DC-3s arrived in 1960; the last Piedmont YS-11 left in 1981.

Additions and renovations
In 1991 a $900,000 renovation project was completed. The commuter terminal was enlarged by 4000 sqft 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. 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.

A regional visitor information center was added to the airport in 1996.

Transportation Security Administration 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. Bus stops included James Madison University, Eastern Mennonite University, and a Courtyard by Marriott 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, 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' connector service between Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport and Pittsburgh International Airport from July 1996 to June 2000.

United Express began service between Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport and Washington Dulles International Airport in April 2000. United Express service at the airport ended in December 2001.

Air Midwest offered US Airways Express' connector service between Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport and Pittsburgh International Airport in June 2000. Its service ended in April 2003. Colgan Air 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 Essential Air Service program. The service to Pittsburgh ended in July 2004 when US Airways downgraded Pittsburgh's status from a hub to a focus city.

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 Bob Goodlatte advocated ending a federal subsidy program called Essential Air Service that made it financially viable for private airlines to offer service to small airports such as Shenandoah Valley.

In 2012 Colgan Air ended service to Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport after the carrier's parent company declared bankruptcy in 2012. The service was replaced by Silver Airways in July 2012. Silver Airways' service to the airport ended in November 2016.

Frontier Airlines began service between Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport and Orlando International Airport in November 2012. The service was canceled in April 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. In November 2017, it was announced that the EAS routes served by ViaAir would cease and SkyWest, 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 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 leading to a CFIT. All 14 people on board the flight died.