In this provided photo, a plane to Las Vegas takes off from the Salem Municipal Airport on Thursday, Oct. 5, 2023. The flight marked the return of commercial air service to Salem after 15 years.
Provided by the city of Salem
For the first time in 15 years, passenger flights are once again taking off from the Salem Municipal Airport.
Ultra low-cost carrier Avelo is now offering service from McNary Field to Las Vegas and Burbank.
It’s the first airline to provide commercial flights since Delta stopped its service to Salem during the 2008 financial crisis, when fuel prices skyrocketed.
“Those were 50-passenger regional jets… and that model really is no longer viable anywhere,” Salem Mayor Chris Hoy said. “They can’t really put enough people on those to pay for the fuel.”
Travel Salem CEO and President Angie Villery said the city has been working for five and a half years to land another airline in Salem.
She said the city initially garnered interest from major carriers connected to busy hubs. But after the pandemic, focus shifted to newer, low-cost carriers like Avelo.
“We really became attractive as almost a ‘Portland South’ airport for the ultra low-cost carrier segment, and that was really exciting for us,” Villery said.
Hoy said the city worked with federal agencies to bring the airport up to standard. The floor had to be reinforced to accommodate heavier, more sensitive security equipment, and security plans had to be made.
However, space is still tight with the larger commercial planes, and passenger holding areas and parking lots can get crowded.
“There are things from the passenger experience perspective that we need to work on, and we knew that going in,” Hoy said. “But we wanted to just get started and just to see if the community was ready for this.”
An airport employee directs a plane at the Salem Municipal Airport on Thursday, Oct. 5, 2023. Commercial air service recently returned to Salem for the first time since 2008.
Provided by the city of Salem
It’s not the only challenge — the travel industry remains volatile, with Avelo suspending its service from Dayton, Ohio, to Florida after just seven months.
But Villery doesn’t expect a similar situation in Salem. The city has built up a funding reserve of about $1.2 million, which the airline could use to make up losses if its initial returns are lower than expected.
“Things like that really do help new service like what we’re experiencing here in Salem take off and have the time to really gain the momentum it needs,” she said.
Both Villery and Hoy were on the inaugural flight from Salem to Las Vegas on Oct. 5.
“Service took off with a bang, and as we understand it, flights are full,” she said. “So we’re really optimistic about continuing to grow that service.”
By serving two counties and roughly 28 cities, Villery said the airport is expected to serve 750,000 travelers a year.
As for why a passenger would choose Salem over the Portland or Eugene airports, Hoy said it comes down to one thing — convenience.
“When we landed Sunday night, from the time we were wheels down — like, literally, just touched down — until I was home petting my dogs was 30 minutes,” Hoy said. “When I go to PDX… it’s a minimum one hour just getting to the airport to get parked.”
Salem could see service to Phoenix and the Bay Area in the near future if consumer demand for flights stays strong.
Salem Mayor Chris Hoy and Travel Salem CEO and President Angie Villery spoke with “Think Out Loud” host Dave Miller. Click play to listen to the full conversation:
