As Western North Carolina comes up on critical weeks of fall foliage changing colors, which often brings in a boost to local business and visitation, the Asheville Regional Airport is expecting this October will be among one of the busiest months in its history. It comes as the airport has soared in the rankings of busiest commercial airports in the United States, now placing among the 100 busiest in the country.
July 2024 was the busiest month in the airport’s history, with over 257,000 passengers traveling through the airport’s doors — a 5.1% increase from 2023. October was the airport’s second-busiest month in 2023, with over 240,000 passengers traveling though the airport. This year, airlines are expecting even more people.
“Airline capacity in October is ahead of last year, so all indicators suggest that October will be very busy again this year,” Asheville Regional Airport spokesperson Tina Kinsey said, noting that passengers should plan to arrive “at least two hours prior to their flight’s boarding time.”
With over 1.1 million people boarding a plane at the airport in 2023, the record sets the airport as the 97th busiest of the 548 commercial service airports in the United States, according to FAA data released in June. It’s the first time the Asheville Airport has broken the top 100 airports for passenger activity in the US, Kinsey said.
The airport is currently undergoing a massive $400 million redevelopment project “AVL Forward,” which involves the construction of a new north and south concourse, expanding the number of gates from seven to 12 and adding on to current square footage by 150%, among other things. The airport expects to open the north concourse in June 2025.
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If you are departing from the airport as a regional resident or are leaving the area after doing some leaf peeping during what some fall foliage forecasters are calling an “atypical year” for fall color, here are some things to know:
Fall color season timing is unclear
As for those looking to take a flight during Asheville’s leaf peeping season, the timing this year for “peak color” is somewhat unclear.
Howard Neufeld, a professor of plant eco-physiology at Appalachian State University, believes that with the late warming this year, fall color change will be slow, estimating if warm days continue through the first week of October leaf colors would likely be delayed, the Citizen Times reported Sept. 24. Neufeld, who runs the “Fall Color Guy” Facebook page, called the last week of September and first week of October “critical” to indicating when fall colors will develop.
For those visiting the Blue Ridge Parkway, which hugs the spine of the Blue Ridge Mountains for 469 miles from Virginia to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Cherokee, the colors could begin to turn from Oct. 10-20, Evan Fisher, a recent UNC Asheville grad in atmospheric sciences, and owner and founder of ExploreFall.com told the Citizen Times. For those planning to fly in for a visit, Fisher said he is eyeing the weekend of Oct. 19.
When to park at the airport? Look online
Parking has been one of the most frequent concerns and questions around the airport’s rapid growth. As the airport has opened multiple new lots to address parking difficulties, Kinsey said passengers should monitor parking availability online at https://flyavl.com.
Additionally, Asheville Regional Airport President and CEO Lew Bleiweis told Asheville City Council in June that the airport is “about to contract” the design of a new parking garage. That design is estimated to cost $2.5 million, and new construction is estimated to begin between 2026 and 2027, according to the Airport Capital Improvement Program presentation during the Sept. 20 Asheville Regional Airport Board meeting.
Uber and Lyft locations moved
The ride-share pickup locations have been moved to the Shuttle Lot South, where passengers departing the airport will either need to walk or take a shuttle that transports them to parking lots across the airport campus.
Shuttles will pick up passengers on the curb outside of baggage claim and transport them to a waiting area for ride app pick up just outside of Shuttle Lot South. The Asheville Regional Airport Board recently voted to purchase two additional shuttle buses for parking operations during its Aug. 9 meeting, according to meeting minutes.
New nonstops for fall foliage travel?
As the airport continues to grow, new travel options are opening to Asheville Regional Airport passengers, including a new option to fly to Boston. However, this option won’t be available until later next year.
In May 2025, Delta Airlines will bring a new nonstop option from Asheville to Boston, the airport announced. It will be the fourth nonstop flight Delta has from Asheville. The new Boston nonstop will operate on Saturdays and Sundays starting May 15.
“Boston is a very popular destination for travelers in our area, and conversely, Asheville is a desired place for Bostonians to visit,” said Bleiweis, in a Sept. 21 news release. “And a bonus is that Delta’s Boston service provides excellent connectivity – both domestically and internationally. I thank Delta for their decades-long commitment to our region, and this addition to their flight offerings is very exciting.”
For those who are looking for nonstop flight locations for fall, here are the locations and airlines that provide them:
Allegiant AirlinesAustin, Texas: year-roundBaltimore: spring to fallBoston: spring to fallChicago: spring to fallDenver: spring to fallDestin, Florida: summerFort Lauderdale, Florida: year-roundHouston: year-roundKey West, Florida: year-roundLas Vegas: year-roundMinneapolis: spring and summerOrlando, Florida: year-roundSanford, Florida: year-roundPunta Gorda, Florida: year-roundSarasota, Florida: year-roundSt. Pete/Clearwater, Florida: year-roundWest Palm Beach, Florida: year-roundAmerican AirlinesChicago: summerCharlotte: year-roundDallas/Fort Worth: year-roundMiami: summerNew York: year-roundPhiladelphia: variesWashington, D.C.: year-roundDelta Air LinesAtlanta: year-roundBoston: year-round (starts May 2025)New York: year-roundMinneapolis: year-roundJetBlue AirwaysBoston: summer to early fallSun Country AirlinesMinneapolis: spring to fallUnited AirlinesChicago: year-roundDenver: year-roundNewark, New Jersey: year-round
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Will Hofmann is the Growth and Development Reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Got a tip? Email him at [email protected]. Consider supporting this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.
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Publish date : 2024-09-24 22:09:00
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