Mead & Hunt partnered with the City of Lynchburg and Lynchburg Regional Airport (LYH) on a multi-year strategy to expand regional air access. This effort, which leveraged a Small Community Air Service Development Program (SCASDP) grant and robust data analysis of the region’s university and corporate travel needs, successfully secured the return of a second network carrier to LYH. The team’s collaboration with airport leadership focused on demonstrating the high demand from local anchor institutions and the significance of the opportunity, ultimately presenting a winning case for a new partnership with United Airlines.
United Express, operated by SkyWest Airlines, will launch daily nonstop service from LYH to two premier global hubs: Chicago O’Hare and Washington Dulles International Airports. This expansion adds approximately 100 daily seats to the market, offering travelers one-stop connectivity to more than 200 destinations worldwide. This service is integral for Lynchburg’s economic vitality because it provides direct access to the nation’s capital and the Midwest’s largest hub, reducing travel friction for local businesses, simplifying recruitment for area colleges, and making the “Hill City” more connected to the global economy than ever before.
