The Airport as Flight Boutique

In 1995, the Winchester County Airport received a multimillion-dollar makeover. Since the renovation, the airport has taken on a healthy, new appearance and higher standing; however, despite the airports high reputation, the number of passengers coming through the airport has fallen 25 percent over the last couple of years. Consequently, late last year country officials had no other choice than to use money from a special airport revenue fund to compensate for the expected $850,000 deficit in this year’s budget. The drop in passengers is partly due to the impacts on travel caused by the terrorist attacks on September 11, the wavering economy, along with the cost for airport fares at Winchester, which are considered to be some of the highest in the U.S. by some travel agents. Users of the airport also state that the airport’s lack of direct flights to popular locations and its limited amount of alternatives offered if flights are cancelled, are other reasons for the decrease in travelers.