Norfolk airport adds daily flights to Tennessee cities

Two airlines serving Norfolk International Airport are offering new, nonstop flights to Tennessee, bucking a recent industry trend of trimming service to save on fuel costs.

Starting Saturday, Southwest Airlines will offer a daily nonstop flight to Nashville, departing at 6:50 a.m. and arriving at 7:50 a.m.

The inbound flight from Nashville will depart at 3:50 p.m. and arrive in Norfolk at 6:45 p.m., the company said.

Northwest Airlines has begun a daily nonstop to Memphis, with a regional jet leaving Norfolk at 7:35 a.m. and arriving at 8:45 a.m. The inbound flight from Memphis departs at 7:20 p.m. and arrives in Norfolk at 10:29 p.m., the company said.

Wayne Shank, deputy executive director of the airport authority, said that while the new flights are good news for Norfolk, the possibility always exists that cuts could be announced suddenly.

"A lot of times, when we're notified of a cut in service, it's at the last minute," he said. "I'm not saying we won't see a reduction, but right now I'm not aware of any. We're pleased with the new service."

A irlines are suffering under the weight of significantly higher jet fuel prices and are looking for ways to make cuts.

With the exception of Southwest Airlines, most major carriers began charging passengers $25 this week for a second carry-on bag, for example.

Southwest will charge $25 for a third carry-on bag.

Industry analysts have predicted that higher fuel costs could drive a 20 percent reduction in the number of available seats next year, equivalent to shutting down a major airline and the loss of thousands of daily flights.

With fewer seats and higher expenses, the cost of tickets is likely to surge, experts have said.

The industry's jet fuel bill will be 72 percent higher this year than last year, according to the Air Transport Association, a trade group.

Historically, fuel expenses have ranged from 10 to 15 percent of U.S. passenger airline operating costs but are currently running between 30 and 50 percent, the group said.

The per-gallon cost of jet fuel has increased from 90 cents in 2000 to about $2.85 today, the association said.

"There is a lot of nervous uncertainty out there in terms of what will happen next," Shank said.

Tom Holden, (757) 446-2331, tom.holden@pilotonline.com