Chattanooga Airport celebrates first nonstop flight to Las Vegas
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – Chattanoogans can now get to the city that may set their soul on fire, as Elvis Presley once said, a little bit faster.
Thursday was the inaugural flight to Las Vegas via Allegiant Airlines.
Dozens of passengers embarked on the historic flight on Thursday afternoon as several Allegiant and airport staff members dressed up like the King of Rock and Roll to honor the occasion.
One passenger Caio Godoy, who has traveled to Las Vegas several times in the past, said, “Usually we drive to Atlanta or Nashville to go to Vegas but now it’s so close to home, only 20 minutes from my house… We just drive down the road and we’re going to Vegas.”
This is the Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport’s first foray into being connected with the West Coast previously only as far west as Texas.
Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport and city officials hold a ribbon cutting for the first ever flight from Chattanooga to Las Vegas.
Jim Hall, the chairman of the Airport Authority Board said, “It’s our gateway to the West. Soon there will be a bullet train from Los Angeles to Vegas and this will open up the whole West Coast to folks that live here in Chattanooga and as importantly, it will bring tourism from California, Nevada, those areas here to Chattanooga.”
The city’s investment into increasing air traffic is seen by officials as a critical economic focus.
“Air service development is economic development, and that is the thesis that we are pursuing, and I think you are beginning to see it pay dividends,” Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly said.
The Chattanooga Airport hopes that this maiden voyage is not the last one they announce in the coming months, especially with new federal regulations.
Hall added, “The FAA Reauthorization Bill passed today and is on the President’s desk. That provides additional money to the FAA for new controllers which will help us with our service, the service we’re trying to get to New York, and also with more supervisors and inspectors so this logjam with Boeing can hopefully be broken and we can have new aircraft, new service here in Chattanooga.”
As for the passengers taking the skies, they are ready to test their luck on the slot machines in the desert.
Godoy said, “I’m excited for all the entertainment. I’m excited to watch the shows and go out and have fun.”
Hall also said the airport plans to expand their parking garage and maybe even explore another terminal expansion as they expect passenger traffic to grow.
