Use it or lose it.
That should be our community's motto regarding the welcome decision by Delta Air Lines to initiate regular daily passenger service to and from the Moore County Airport.
We've spent four lonely years off the grid since US Airways Express shut down its service to SOP (the airline code for Southern Pines) in 2002. Our economy has survived the blow and even flourished, judging from the recently announced record low unemployment rate.
But let's face it: Fairly or unfairly, for some people who've never been to Moore County -- especially those who live in or near bigger towns elsewhere and are considering moving here or visiting on vacation -- a town without air service might as well have the code NWV: Nowheresville.
A Borderline Market
Though we all know what a wonderful, thriving place this is, we're hardly at the top of the list of priorities when airline execs sit around board rooms and look at the numbers and consider where to assign their finite number of planes. In terms of potential generation of passenger miles, we're a borderline market. Delta, which has been through 9/11 and bankruptcy proceedings, has bigger fish to fry.
For those reasons, it is only through the diligence of Airport Manager Ron Maness and his task force that Delta has agreed to give us a whirl. Now it's up to the rest of us to convince company officials that they've made the right decision. We do that by making the most of this golden opportunity.
Beginning June 22 and on every day except Tuesdays thereafter, Delta subsidiary Atlantic Southeastern Airlines will fly a 40-passenger jet (with extra room for golf equipment) into SOP at 10:45 a.m. The plane will take off again at 11:10 a.m., arriving back in ATL at 12:28 p.m. From Atlanta, you can get connections to virtually any place.
Make the Most of It
No one can expect Delta to provide this customized, low-volume service without adding a premium to the ticket price one would normally pay to get to the same destination from Raleigh or another larger airport. But Delta has worked hard to bring the prices down and keep them in proportion. The task force deserves praise for impressing on Delta that pricing was a big part of US Airways' downfall here.
There are huge tradeoffs. Going through security and boarding the plane should be a low-stress dream here compared to the ordeal that travelers typically confront in major airports. You avoid the time, bother and expense involved in driving back and forth to Raleigh, waiting in line for an hour or two, paying to park your car for days and perhaps even having to stay in a motel overnight to catch an early flight.
Individuals contemplating business or pleasure trips should take all those factors into account and consider the local Delta Service first. Travel agents should err on the side of trying to steer clients in that direction. Local business and governmental leaders should talk the service up with their employees. The initial schedule may not be best for everyone. But the more we use the service, the more flights we might get.
The advent of daily Delta flights will greatly enhance the quality of life here. We're lucky this opportunity has fallen into our laps. It's our civic duty not to blow it.
