McKellar-Sipes celebrates new air provider with inaugural flight
JACKSON, Tenn. — The new Denver Air Connection at McKellar-Sipes Regional Airport is expected to be a game changer for West Tennessee that will bring exponential growth to the area.
The new Denver Air Connection is here in the Hub City. Leaders say their goal is to be a truly viable first choice for customers in West Tennessee when they want to go anywhere in the world.
“There are people here that, over the years, have looked at the single-engine airplanes that we’ve offered and not been comfortable flying on a single-engine airplane. It’s a very safe airplane. The safety record is really good. But, it’s what you perceive and a lot of people perceive if they’re not on a jet, they’re not on a real airline,” said Steve Smith, executive director for the Jackson-Madison Airport Authority.
McKellar-Sipes Regional Airport is looking at becoming the sixth commercial airport to have a projected 10,000 passengers a year. On the drawing board right now is a $30-million terminal that they’re planning to build here in the next 5 years.
“It’s a jet, so the travel time to and from is much less, but it also has the capability of getting through and around weather,” said Rusty Reviere, airport board chair.
The private inaugural route taken to celebrate the arrival of Denver Air is known as the Elvis Route, flying over tupelo, Mississippi to Memphis and back to Madison County.
“It’s a 50 passenger jet. It has a full lavatory on board, full service with a flight attendant on every single flight,” said Jon Coleman, Senior Vice President of Corporate Strategy with Denver Air.
Coleman tells us how the word will best reach the community.
“The best advertisement for the air service here is when that plane starts showing up and leaving, and flying over town every single day. People will start looking at it and be like ‘Oh man, we’ve got an air service now and it’s for real.’ And they start to trust the airport again,” said Coleman.
Smith tells us just how fast the airline will get to your destination.
“It’s going to be an hour flight to Chicago, 50 minute flight to Atlanta. I mean these are things that are going to make your day. Those are the things Jackson has needed for a long time,” said Smith.
Guests can visit Expedia, Hotwire or Google flights to look at what’s all available when Denver Air begins air service from Jackson on December 1.
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