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This North Carolina Town Has One of the US' Fastest-Growing Aviation Markets

May 31, 2018
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2 min read
Exploring Asheville's Blue Ridge Mountains
This North Carolina Town Has One of the US' Fastest-Growing Aviation Markets
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Times are good for the tourism industry in Asheville, North Carolina — a quaint, artsy town in the heart of the state's Blue Ridge Mountain range.

Asheville, known for its bevy of craft breweries, the Biltmore Estate and burgeoning local art scene, is not only growing its hotel capacity by 40% over the next four years, but also it has a booming aviation market to accommodate waves of new tourists.

Over the last two years alone, Asheville Regional Airport (AVL) increased its flight capacity on weekly departing seats by 33.2%, according to new numbers from aviation consulting group IFC Inc. Direct flights to and from New York, in addition to its tourism boon, have also helped Asheville grow its flight capacity in the past couple years. In late 2016, Allegiant Air added four flights a week from Newark (EWR) to Asheville (AVL), and United made its seasonal EWR to AVL route a year-round fixture that year as well.

Asheville's growth rate is second only to Florida's Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport (VPS), which edged out Asheville by just a tenth of a percentage at 33.3% added capacity, for the fastest growing airport in the country with at least 5,000 weekly departing seats.

Destin, a popular resort town in Florida's panhandle, is seeing full flights everyday, local officials say. “These aircraft are coming in slammed full,” Tracy Stage, airports director for Okaloosa County, Florida, told Bloomberg. “Destin used to be a well-kept secret, but it’s ranked in the top five in terms of world-class beaches and fishing.”

The other fastest-growing airports in the US are small regional outposts, too, IFC Inc. reports. Peoria, Illinois (PIA), trails behind Asheville with 28.7% growth of weekly departing seats, followed by Appleton, Wisconsin (ATW) — the home of the state's regional carrier, Air Wisconsin. Rounding out the top five fastest-growing airports with at least 5,000 weekly departing seats is Trenton, NJ (TTN), which added 26.2% capacity to its departing seat capacity.

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Why We Chose It

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  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.