Delta Airlines announced that they are pulling out of flights to Hilton Head Island due to the short landing strip at Hilton Head Island Airport which forces Delta airplanes to operate at half capacity. Service will stop in the Fall.
Because of the runway length, Delta flights at Hilton Head Island have been limited to carrying a little more than half of the planes’ capacity. That’s 18 passengers when landing and 23 when taking off, according to the airline’s station closure plan.
The Saab 340 turboprop planes used for the flights can seat 34 passengers on a longer runway. Such a reduced capacity reportedly produced a financial burden for the airline. Delta Airlines stated that they would prefer to continue providing customers the convenience of scheduled Delta Connection flights between Hilton Head Island and Atlanta, Georgia, the Delta network has decided to indefinitely suspend seasonal service due to economics and operational challenges with the associated aircraft and runway configurations.
At 4,300 feet long, the runway at Hilton Head Island’s airport is one of the shortest in the country used for commercial service. The approach also is complicated by hundreds of tall trees that have grown into the flight path. The Town of Hilton Head’s Town Council has repeatedly refused to make the airport safer by cutting these trees and/or trimming the trees sufficiently so that this is not a hazard. I have attended many Town Council meetings when this matter has been discussed and our Mayor and Town Council members have not been supportive of the actions that are necessary to solve the problems at Hilton Head Airport. Besides loosing business such as the Delta Airlines flights, it is not as safe as it should be for our other carrier, US AIR, because of the trees and the short runway. The Federal Aviation Administration has recommended the runway be extended to 5000 feet but any talk of lengthening the runway has met with much opposition from our Mayor, Town Council members, and some residents who live close to the Hilton Head Airport. Both Hilton Head and Beaufort County Councils have passed ordinances which essentially lock in the runway at its current length.
According to an article in our local paper, County administrator Gary Kubic said “ Delta Airlines decision to drop service from Atlanta to Hilton Head Island was due to the national economy and the pressure on airlines because no one’s traveling…and the runway length ties into profitability”. In my opinion that is the most ridiculous comment I have ever heard. Of course, profitability is important to any business but the reason that Delta Airlines cannot make a profit on the Atlanta to Hilton Head route is not because “no one is traveling”. The flights in and out of Hilton Head Island are as full as the weight restrictions will allow with our runway length on both Delta and USAIR. The truth is that “everyone IS traveling” and most flights in and out of Hilton Head Island are full and in lots of cases oversold.
Kubic states in the local paper that the county and a consultant are drafting a master plan to address the airport’s future, runway length and configuration. He stated that he expects a series of interviews and public meetings to begin in the next month or two concerning the airport and its future. I for one have attended many, many meetings of Town Council and others in which the majority of the business leaders (including the director of our Chamber of Commerce) and residents have spoken in favor of our airport and the importance of lengthening the runway so that commercial service in and out of our airport can continue. We are definitely loosing business on the island due to our airport and the politics and policies that surround those that make the decisions for the voters of Beaufort County. A group of concerned citizens suggested to our Mayor and Town Council that we put the ordinance which prohibited lengthening our runway to a vote and let the residents of our Town and County decide but our political leaders refused to do this .
I hope that concerned citizens, voters, as well as visitors and property owners in Beaufort County will let their feelings be known concerning the future of our airport before it is too late. In my opinion, Hilton Head Island Airport is one of the most, if not the most important asset on the island. It is a fact that real estate and tourism IS our industry on the island and the airport is a very important part of the decision of those who are considering Hilton Head Island as a home or business and certainly a vital part of the decision of a tourist to visit the island.
