ThePilot.com : Delta Optimistic About Air Service    Updated: March 17,
2007 at 18:47 pm It's Your Life. Read All About It. Search    Print this
Page | Email to a friend | Email the News Editor Delta Optimistic About
Air Service BY MATTHEW MORIARTY: STAFF WRITER Delta Air Lines service to
Moore County has gotten off to a better start than it did last year. The
flight was early today, unlike the first flight last year, said Ron
Maness, executive director of the Moore County Airport. There was about
half an hour of me sweating. Delta is expecting a strong summer this year
because of the U.S. Women's Open at Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club in
Southern Pines and the return of an expanded U.S. Kids Golf Championship.
Story continues below advertisement  Several representatives from the
Atlanta-based Delta were on hand Thursday for a ceremony marking the
resumption of air service to the Moore County Airport. It will continue
through Nov. 12. This is the second year that Delta has offered flights to
and from Moore County on a seasonal basis.   The first year went really well for Delta Air Lines, Bryan Keaveny,
director of domestic revenue management for Delta, said during the
ceremony. The spring is starting off pretty well and the summer looks
really good. We hope to have this service for many, many years, with
multiple flights a day. Betse Hamilton, director of the Women's Open with
the United States Golf Association USGA , said that the event is expected
to bring more than 100,000 spectators and corporate guests to Moore
County. The USGA is shooting for the record of 131,000 spectators, she
said. All the players and traveling volunteers will be made aware of the
Delta flight, Hamilton said. We're thrilled, speaking for the USGA, to
have Delta's service, she said. Soon, another marketing tool will be out,
helping convince travelers to visit Moore County. Next month, Delta's
in-flight magazine, Sky Magazine, will have a 28-page feature on Moore
County. It will cover a range of topics, from the area economy to basic
quality of life, according to Caleb Miles, president and CEO of the Area   Convention and Visitors Bureau. The magazine is available on every Delta
flight for a month. Maness said he is working toward the goal of having
commercial flights every day of the year, two or three times a day. He
said the numbers of passengers last year were very favorable. Our
community truly did step up to the plate, Maness said. Bill Williams,
aviation director for the N.C. Department of Transportation said that he
was pleased to see air service return to the Southern Pines, Pinehurst and
Aberdeen area. But he said it represented a challenge to the community to
support the service. It's a challenge we all have to make Ron's wish come
true, Williams said. Moore County's partnership with Delta is an example
that Williams said he often uses when trying to convince airlines that
local services can work. Air service is critical, he said, to the
continued success of Moore County's economy. Communities cannot survive
today without some connectivity, Williams said, some air service. Last
year's air service was successful, with about 60 percent of the seats   filled. Delta was surprised to find that there were more outbound
passengers than inbound passengers. But area economic leaders are hoping
for much more this year. With two large golf championships, both of which
draw a worldwide crowd, people are expecting more inbound passengers. The
flight goes from Southern Pines to Delta's hub at the Hartsfield-Jackson
Atlanta International Airport. This year, the flight arrives at 3:57 p.m.
and leaves at 4:25 p.m. Delta has announced a low introductory fare for
the first two months. A flight to Atlanta is available at Delta.com for
$119. For the first two months, flights will be five days a week. A sixth
flight will be added in May and a seventh during the peak summer travel
period. Maness said that the community had a lot to be excited about, but
he said that the key number is 40. Forty seats arrive each day, and 40
seats leave, he said. We need 40 people in those seats and 40 people out.
Matthew Moriarty can be reached at 693-2479 or by e-mail at
moriarty@thepilot.com.  All contents The Pilot LLC. Contents cannot be
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