CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The rain didn’t stop the many passengers from boarding their flight to the Big Apple Thursday, marking the first one of its kind to come to CRW and West Virginia in over a decade.
Employees at West Virginia International Yeager Airport held a gate party Thursday morning for passengers boarding the inaugural Breeze Airways flight to Newark Liberty International Airport, which was going to be taking them right on the outskirts of New York City upon their arrival.
The first flight was filled up with passengers who were waiting to depart from CRW to EWR by approximately 9:30 a.m.
Jonathan Adkins was one the passengers boarding Thursday’s flight. He is a West Virginia native who now lives in Washington D.C. but was here visiting family. 
Adkins said this route is groundbreaking for West Virginians looking for a quick, easy way to get to the Big Apple.
“Super excited to be on the first flight from Charleston to Newark, it’s a really great opportunity for fellow West Virginians like myself because you can get from Newark into Manhattan very easily on public transportation, this is much easier than some of the other airports,” Adkins said.
In just about 40 minutes to an hour passengers can get from Newark International by train directly into Penn Station in NYC. EWR is one of the three airports that serve the New York City area.
Adkins said other than seeing relatives, the whole point for him in making the trip to West Virginia from D.C. was simply to be on this flight itself.
“I’m actually going up and back, I’m such a travel and aviation geek that I just wanted to be on the first flights, but more happy honestly just to be in Charleston and to do some fun things with some family,” said Adkins.
The first returning flight from Newark was expected to arrive at CRW at 1:45 p.m. Thursday. The West Virginia Department of Tourism was going to be onsite to welcome passengers arriving from EWR.
Another passenger on Thursday mornings’ departing flight, Charleston native Sarah Davee said she was happy to have airway access to NYC again.
“I used to take it every season to go visit my best friends in New York and I have sorely missed it since it was gone,” she said.
The last time Yeager Airport offered flights to New York was 11 years ago.
Davee said a visit to once again see her NYC friends was also the reason she was boarding the inaugural flight Thursday for one of their birthdays, which is Friday.
She said they planned to make their usual trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art while she was there visiting, and just simply catch up with one another.
Davee said her friend trip to NYC couldn’t have fallen on a better time with Breeze bringing the flights here again.
“I’m so excited,” Davee said. “I feel like I jumped on the first opportunity to go visit my friends, and it’s very exciting here today with the snacks and the goodies, and there’s just good energy here.”
CRW Chief Marketing Officer Paige Withrow said the gates were full for the flight to Newark Thursday.
She said they were hearing a lot of good feedback from passengers about the flight, so much so that Breeze has already added an additional weekly route.
Withrow said they will be offering flights to Newark International Thursdays, Sundays and now, additionally on Tuesdays as well.
She said this flight was highly in-demand, so it’s great to finally have it.
Paige Withrow
“This was a flight that was asked by our community, we were asked all of the time if we were ever going to have a New York route, so again, super excited, this is a very exciting day for us,” said Withrow.
Adkins said this Newark-NYC flight is good for West Virginia in multiple ways, and he can definitely see it to be a lasting one as well.
“It’s great for families who want to tour and see the city, particularly for the holidays, but it’s also great for business, because it will bring people to the area, generate some commerce, so it’s really good for everybody, and once you get a flight like this, the buzz builds, you start getting the next one and the next and so on,” said Adkins.
The partnership between the state of West Virginia, CRW and Breeze Airways began in March of last year.
In addition to Newark now, Breeze offers weekly flights to Orlando and seasonal flights to Myrtle Beach and Tampa. Withrow said flights to Newark International will be offered year-round.
“We’re excited to continue our growth from CRW today,” said Breeze Airways CEO David Neeleman. “Now with four destinations from here, we’re continuing to connect the dots between underserved city pairs, giving travelers more options to fly affordably and comfortably to over 60 destinations across 30 states on more than 200 nonstop flights.”
Flights start at $49 one-way. You can check out Breeze on their website or download their app for tickets. CRW also recommends passengers to sign up for their email list for special offers through Breeze.