By Adam Pack
The Greenbrier County Airport Authority met for their regular monthly meeting on Dec. 12, at 10 a.m. Air Director Brian Belcher began the meeting by reporting progress on the airport entrance.
“Work has begun on the entrance sign; the construction company has already set some buried rebar as well as PVC pipes in preparation for the pouring of a small concrete foundation. On that foundation will be stone [fascia], and then comes the installation of the sign itself,” said Belcher. He stated that he felt he spoke for the whole commission when he said he was very excited about the sign finally being done, as its completion has run into many of the same problems that other building projects have in recent months with delays.
Belcher went on to add that the kick-off event for Contour was, “a huge success, with so many people coming out and showing interest and spreading the news.” Furthermore, Belcher added that, “since then the working relationship has been great, with great service from Contour. They have been very on-time with only one cancellation so far.” He added that the airline is “loaded up” through Oct. 31, 2023 with 16 round-trip flights in that span. “That’s a really good amount for an airport like this,” he noted.
Coinciding with the arrival of Contour on Nov. 1, Ground Stop Gift Shop opened its doors in early November and is now selling snacks, beverages, and handmade gifts and collectibles. CFO Martha Livesay said, “They have some very talented crafters there who make some wonderful gifts and things, and they serve coffee, which the restaurant here (Mi Tequila) does not, so people enjoy that. We just hope more people stop by Ground Stop, both those traveling and local people too; we think there is a lot to offer them as well.” Ground Stop has yet to begin marketing in earnest, but is looking for opportunities and invites locals and travelers alike to take a look around this Christmas season.
The airport’s Part 139 Inspection for 2022 has officially been closed out, and initially very promising reports from inspectors on the ground have been officially recognized by a letter from the FAA earlier this month. The authority relayed that the letter records that LWB’s Part 139 Inspection this year passed with high marks.